Hurricane Yoh: Second Stage
by funkmasterjo
Summary: [YohxAnna] The sequel. Things become a touch more serious for Yoh as the shaman fight reopens once again, with the shadow of his greatest opponent looming overhead. But of course, the humor is still there. I couldn't get rid of it if I tried.
1. Chapter 1: After the Storm

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not a dmn thing

Hello, this is the 'sequel' to Hurricane Yoh: First Stage! Which was (honestly?) pretty much scrapped. But it lives again!

Last time, on Hurricane Yoh: First Stage:

_Tamao was quite lucky, she realized, that Yoh had walked into the dining area with Anna. Because Anna's immediate reaction to seeing Tamao had both Zenki and Kohki aiming for her head._

Now, get ready for Hurricane Yoh: Second Stage!

* * *

Chapter 1: After the Storm (dear god, that's cheasy)

It was a bright morning at the Funbari Inn. The sky, having exhausted all it's fury in the previous night's storm, was clear without a cloud. The birds were singing, flowers were blooming, and inside the household, _Anna was fuming. _

_'It was an accident, it was an accident, she didn't know what she was doing, it was an accident,' _she repeated in her mind. Yet the image of Tamao's towel-less, post-shower, damp, well-endowed (more so than her, anyway) body being crushed into Yoh's bare chest was chiseled into her mind. It at once made her (though she certainly wouldn't admit anything) hot with indignation and cold with fury.

Tamao walked in, laundry basket in hand.

Anna snapped her a freezing cold, patented "Anna" glare v.5000 which could make a rock whimper and weep in abject terror.

(A/N explanation corner: "v." is the abbreviation for "version". Hence, version 5000. Hey, she's been doing it all her life, so she's got a lot of versions, what can I say?)

Tamao thought she would surely die just from the look. She reflected that it wouldn't really be so bad: she could easily believe that Anna's stare promised suffering worse than death.

Her thoughts paused. Anna was an expert Itako, not even death could save her! Death was like Anna's workplace, like her _playground._

Tamao gulped, hard.

And then, as if on cue, her "knight in shining armor": Yoh-sama appeared.

No, that's a mistake of wording. Shining armor was attractively chivalrous. Post-morning workout, sweat-soaked shirt, tiredly smiling Yoh was **not** attractively chivalrous in any way, shape, or form. When Yoh-sama appeared, Tamao's "knight of: mind bending, hormonal supercharge-inducing, totally oblivious, towering monolith of raw sexual hotness and temptation" appeared.

Tamao instantly developed the largest nosebleed of her life and veritably melted into a Tamao-esque puddle on the floor. The laundry basket and contents fell on her head shortly before she passed out.

(A/N: If "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" then Tamao was born with Yoh attractiveness x100-tinted glasses on)

Yoh looked at the Tamao-puddle on the floor, dangerously giddy smile fixed on her face.

"Did you attack Tamao-chan again while I was out, Anna-chan?" Yoh asked disapprovingly.

Anna thought that was a stupid thing to suggest, she perfectly understood that Tamao really **didn't** know what she was doing last night. But in regards to Yoh, she had this to think: _'Clueless, completely and utterly clueless when it comes to anything of romantic consequence.'_ It was one of Yoh's more consistent and reliable qualities._ 'For training, I should make him watch my Soap Operas.'_

Her eyebrow rose coolly, she said aloud: "You're late, Yoh."

"Aha, I ran into Horohoro during my laps under the lake"

(A/N: yes, _under_, weights, remember?)

"Let me guess," Anna articulated, "he's standing outside right now, waiting for you to," she took great care in dragging out the next words, "_butter_ me up."

Yoh sweat dropped and chuckled nervously, "Anna's situational analysis is first rate," he buttered up.

"Is he going to freeload again?"

"Well, you see…"

"No"

"But, Anna," he persisted, "the hurricane caught him, and…"

"And…" She wanted to make sure of this point, "you think I will have sympathy to him?"

Yoh nodded enthusiastically

"Hmm, it seems you're still an idiot"

"Aw, c'mon Anna, please?" Yoh dropped to his knees and clasped his hands in front of him, begging.

"What's it worth to you?"

Yoh sweat dropped. _'that's my Anna, alright...'_

Yoh opened his mouth to reply, just what he would reply, well... even he didn't know _that._ Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on just what Yoh would have said otherwise) sounds of an argument drifted in from outside.

Anna gave Yoh a hard (well... harder, at any rate) look. It took two to argue about who's hair was superior (for that was what they were doing... again.)

"W-Well, Ryu-san was driving through the area when the storm hit and his precious 'purple-hog' didn't make it through and—"

Anna placed her hands on her hips and began to tap her foot; and to Yoh, it sounded like the hollow toll of the funeral bell. The arguing outside fell silent

"So then, just how many of your friends are out there?" When Anna asks a question, though somehow it never seems as if she has asked you a question when she asks you a question.

Yoh was sweating bullets. He replied: "W-Well, Chocolove thought he'd try Japanese humor again and--"

"_I see_," Anna stated dangerously, "_All_ of them are out there, and you want them to freeload again." It wasn't a question.

"Hai..." came the despondent reply.

Anna sighed and raised her eyes to the ceiling in thought. Her hand found it's way to her bandana--The one Yoh had given her last night--and stroked it contemplatively.

Yoh sighed, things were not looking hopeful for him, but as long as Anna seriously considered it, he wouldn't complain. "Don't worry Anna," he'd say, "maybe some other time". He opened his mouth to go through with his speech, but... Anna beat him to the punch

"Yoh..."

"Don't wor--"

"It's fine"

_Stunned silence!_

Anna ignored his schock. "They split the chores between them. You still have light training in the morning and afternoon," she instructed

Yoh's face lit up as if illuminated by some holy light of realization. He walked behind her slowly as if walking on glass, wrapped his arms around her slowly as if holding a cloud and, resting his chin on her shoulder, he spoke.

"Ann-chan is feeling relaxed today" _' is that bandana helping her contoll her powers well?'_

"Shut up, it's not 'Ann-chan', it's 'Anna Kyoyama'."

However, "Anna Kyoyama" surprisingly, did nothing about neither Yoh's arms around her, nor his chin on her shoulder.

"It's not fair though, Ann-chan. When the ice around your heart melts like this I want you to myself, but you timed it to just when my friends are coming over" he pouted. It was true. Yoh had very simple tastes, as far as he was concerned. Hamburgers, curry bread, "Soul Bob", not doing his work, sleeping, and the simple rare times when he could wrap Anna in his arms and just stand—or sit—somewhere. In a way, Anna's coldness would sometimes unexpectadly take a 'break' when it was only the two of them around or concious (poor, blissfully fainted Tamao). It didn't affect her reasoning or descision making or anything, it was really just Anna indulging in her own emotions for a while, like a sort of 'mini-holiday' from her self-imposed emotional restraint. The restraint to keep her semi-literal "inner demons" from tearing up the world. After yesterday... she needed this, badly.

"Then you can send your friends away," Anna reasoned, addressing Yoh's pout, "and it's not 'Ann-chan'"

"No, it's okay. Ann-chan will only stay soft and relaxed for a max of five minuets before turning back into the mean, terror-inducing Anna that everyone else knows" he whispered as he pulled his fiancée closer to him, completely ignoring the "it's not Ann-chan" vibes he was getting. The times when he could get close to Anna without fear of extreme bodily harm were more precious than gold.

"Oh? That's very accurate, Yoh"

"I know my Ann-chan," he stated factually, "besides, I usually time it with your stop-watch because the occurrence is so special"

"It's not 'Ann-chan' you aurally challenged idiot" but though her words were impossibly pointed, her voice was yet uncharacteristically emotional.

(A/N explanation corner: "aurally" is linked to hearing similarly to how "orally" is linked to speech)

"Hmm... then 'Kyoya-chan'?"

"What idiot makes pet names out of the family name?" Again, you couldn't say it was really a question

"Only your Asaku-chan!"

"Hmph" Anna fought it, but she smiled. When Yoh reached for her hand, she didn't reject him. "Though my five minuets of insanity are almost up"

"Don't say that, it's just the 'Anna-Ice' around your heart melting for a while. You even lightened the training," Yoh said, now sounding concerned, "it's a little strange"

"Yesterday's hurricane took it's toll on you, and you've been working hard," Anna reasoned, "harder than I knew"

"Don't say that, it's not work if you're making a present"

Anna sighed, "I don't even know how to explain why making a bandana out of furyoku--your soul's energy--is stupid when it can be used to link directly back to your soul" She glared sternly up at him, and her hand squeezed his a little tighter. Basically, the glare was supposed to shoot her point into Yoh's thick skull, but it seemingly bounced right off.

"Haha, well, Ann-chan keeps all the money so I can't buy anything," he reasoned, "and I'm sure it can help or protect you sometime."

Anna's head snapped up to observe her fiancée's face "What's wrong, Yoh? What do **_I_** need protection from?" she asked seriously. An underlying edge lay in her voice.

"Aah, my five minuets are probably up," Yoh said, hastily untangling himself, "I'll go get the others!" and making a beeline for the door." They'll be happy to—"

"Yoh," Anna spoke—she was standing now—and Yoh paused mid-stride, "did you sense something?"

He sighed and half turned to her, he hadn't wanted to say anything but it was too late, "I don't know Ann-chan, but when I look at the sunset, I keep feeling that some time soon, something big is going to happen."

Anna frowned. Actually, it was just a twitch of the lips but to Yoh, it was clearly a frown. "Hmph," she started offhandedly, "whatever it is, you're ready. You've had too much down-time anyway."

He said nothing, but nodded and turned to the door.

"Come on in, everyone!"

* * *

A/N author's corner: That right there is the first chapter of the sequel to my Hurricane Yoh! I'm 'so-so' happy with it. It was somewhat fun to write the first bit, but the more serious parts (which is a new element Hurricane Yoh!) were not so easy to write. 

I'd like to say that I've matured as an author in my break from writing. And so, I will! However, that may or may not have come at the cost of my rampant silliness which was prevailant in 'First Stage' and made it as much (pitiful though it was) of a sucsess as it was.

If you haven't read the first one:

You need not read the first one to understand this one but all the same, I will blatantly self-advertise my own story like so:

"read first stage if you like second stage, you idiot! The style is less mature, but you know you love it! Just click to my author's page and click "Hurricane Yoh: First Stage!". Do it, do it now!"

Sublminal Messaging:

_Hurricane Yoh: First Stage!Hurricane Yoh: First Stage!Hurricane Yoh: First Stage!Hurricane Yoh: First Stage!Hurricane Yoh: First Stage!__Funkmasterjo is awsome!__Hurricane Yoh: First Stage!Hurricane Yoh: First Stage!Hurricane Yoh: First Stage!No, really, He is!Hurricane Yoh: First Stage!Hurricane Yoh: First Stage!_

If you actually read each and eavery word of that subliminal message in the vain hope that you'd find something funny then congratulations: You've defeated my applied concept behind this subliminal messaging. Though you still didn't find anything funny, and so I laugh at you: "hoho".

Review if you want, don't review if you don't want. But if you don't then when you die, you'll die with a heavy heart and a plauged concience and be sent directly to hell by God himself for your inconcievable sin of ingratitude to "Jo: the funkmaster"

Also, if I offend anyone with my comments, them I'm sorry but I tend to type things as I think them when it comes to A/N author's corner and if you'd see my face, you would understand that it's all just one big, non-funny, satire-ical joke.


	2. Chapter 2: Hot spring gossip

Disclaimer: I own nothing

This one isn't so great, I will caution you ahead of time. But you know what? I need to lay some groundwork, so you'll just have to bear with it.

* * *

Chapter 2

"Aaah, this is great" commented Yoh. "The guys" were lounging around one of Funbari Inn's very own hot-springs

"Hm, it's been a while" Ren commented in an offhanded manner

"Yes," Ryu agreed sombrely, "two years is two years too long, my friends." 'Ryu of the wooden sword' looked around the room; All 'the guys' were here, minus Lyserg; brought together by some strange whim of fate, just like old times.

"I mean, look at you all," Ryu addressed the occupants of the room, "you have all grown so much, even _Faust_ looks healthier"

"Necromancery is bad for the health" Faust explained. It was wierd seeing him in a hot spring, let me tell you.

"That is not the point," Ryu insisted in a reflective tone, "the point is that I remember back when I could use Chocolate's head as a barstool, Ren's head as a coat hanger, and Horohoro's as a shoe brush."

Horohoro 'bristled' along with his two companions. The thing about Ryu was that he could insult you repeatedly without even realizing it.

"And don't even get me _started_ on Manta, but now I…" he paused in surprise, "Actually, Manta hasn't grown at all! I can _still_ use him for—"

"Shut up! Enough with—" Manta looked very flustered. Like some tiny, timid guy that was mad as hell, and ready to go on a warpath. Maybe he was.

"Now, now," Yoh interrupted, "Manta being short is nothing new," he negotiated with a voice only tinged with seriousness, "we were friends when he was short two years ago, and he'll probably be short for the rest of his life…"

"And I'm fine with that." he finished simply

Ren smirked, the others smiled in acceptance (Ryu apologetically) and Manta smiled back.

His shortness really tormented him sometimes. And if Yoh had taken off the pressure with a "cut it out, guys" or a "he'll just have a late growth spurt" then Manta would have been relieved. But the doubt that he _would_ grow, and shortness he has now would remain—would plague his nights, maybe forever. But to admit the reality of—his personal demon—and accept it with a smile, revealing that it was no demon at all; to do that… he was not only relived, but he was happy,_ happy **and free**_. His friends accepted his faults. They _were_ his friends and looking at the accepting smiles, he had never known that so completely. Maybe that was corny, and maybe it was stupid, but those were his feelings and he'd loose a precious inch off his height before he'd give that up.

"So, uh…" Manta started, embarrassed at his near-rampage, "What's everyone been up to?"

"_Well!" _Horohoro began, puffing himself up, "I don't know about you guys, but I've been training like a mad-man! Hah, my furyoku count is probably_ five times_—"

"More than it was before?" Ren finished sarcastically, "mine's increased _ten_fold. The gap between us just keeps getting bigger, 'boroboro'"

"It's Horohoro!"

(A/N: I do believe boroboro means "crap" in Japan)

And so, an age old argument started up once again. In a way, it kind of made Yoh feel nostalgic.

"What about you, Ryu?" the nostalgic boy asked, "you been training with 'tousan?"

"Indeed, from him I have learned many things. Somehow, no matter where I am on the wide open road, he'll show up and teach me" Ryu mused

"He's pretty fast, faster than the purple-hog." At this, Ryu dissolved into uncontrollable sobs of lamentation. For the purple-hog was gone, gone forever.

"Ah, whell…" Yoh patted him on the back and tried to change the subject, "Faust and Eliza train with me sometimes. Over two years, his furyoku capacity increased a bit but he's also opened up a medical clinic, which is great and um…"

Alas, Ryu's mind could not be taken off of his purple-hog. He lamented that he'd never see his "sweet baby girl" again which earned him some very disturbed looks.

Chocolove saw a person in troubled, sad times. And when he saw that, he _had_ to make a joke. It was his law, his _way_. Wipe away tears with the power of laughter! He stood up bravely and opened his mouth—

But was stopped cold by the collective efforts of Ren and Horohoro, who had ignored their argument to ally against the greater foe: Chocolove's criminally bad jokes.

Horohoro struggled to find something to cheer up the crying Ryu, "Hey, it's not _so_ bad. For training, I had to climb up several snowy mountains with a large rock strapped to my back, balancing a cup of water without letting if freeze! Sometimes I'd go up the mountain backwards, or have to construct a giant ice sculpture of Pirika…" he shivered in thought, "let me tell you, that girl didn't want her sculpture to look like her at all, she kept talking about how she was _prettier _and…" Horohoro stopped, and shuddered again. Pirika was scary sometimes.

Ryu had to admit that that sounded pretty bad, and bravely got over the loss of his purple-hog

"Not bad," Ren assented, "but with the assets of the Tao clan, I've trained solidly for two years with and against the greatest trainers money can buy, not to mention the greatest spirits in the Tao reservoir. I mastered several of the clan's highest techniques. Before coming here, I defeated the entire Tao army of spirits in one night." It was a long speech, and a little conceited, but impressive.

"Well," Chocolove took his turn, "_I'm_ an expert comedian and—"

"Lies!" shouted Horohoro

"**and**," Chocolove continued regardless, "me and Mic have enough speed to let us train all over the place. Our hit-and-run techniques have gotten even more insane! Though I don't have a clan or anything to get techniques from..."

"Hm, well Yoh," Ren commented half-challengingly, "it seems like our team for the shaman fight has trained much more than yours"

Ryu pondered this but one point came to mind, "What about Master Yoh's training?"

Ren, Horohoro, and Chocolove stilled. _'Yoh's training' _was the combined thought that flashed through their minds. In the end, they couldn't ignore his threat above any others.

To fight Faust was to face off with a demon, to fight Ryu was to face off with a dragon; but to fight _Yoh_ was to grasp at the air.

"Haha, oh man," Yoh winced, "to look at the last two years is like looking into hell: it's been painful, inescapable, and it sucks the life right out of you. Training specials, training specials, training specials—" he lamented. A comical flow of tears fell down his eyes.

Manta nodded sagely in understanding

Yoh continued, much to everyone's interest: "Somehow, she decided that she'd underestimated my ability to survive, so… so she threw me into a desert and left me, to see what happened," he complained with tears begining to form, "and when I made it out, she figured that I could survive anything as long as it was from nature. So since then, I've been thrown into active volcanoes and told stop them from erupting, thrown into whirlpools and told not to drown, thrown into sandstorms, thrown into the grand canyon, thrown off of…"

Yoh continued in that manner for a solid two minuets of endless listing. If he'd learned one thing in the past two years, it was that Anna had a damn god throwing arm.

"There were good days," he assented, "when a twister would show up, and I just had to run through it, or when she'd just send me into some sort of almost-illegal combination of obstical courses, or be forced to train in the most extreme Asakura arts,or the days when I had to come back for tests at school and cram months of learning in a single night…"

Silence reigned. After a time, Chocolove spoke up, "so _that's_ why I saw you falling through the grand canyon that day." He had seen the plummeting form of his friend there, but the image had only lasted long enough for Chocolove to catch the fact that Yoh was waving hello, before his form continued it's plummet and became only a distant dot.

"Haha, yeah. Getting stronger is kind of fun, sometimes, but I still don't get why Anna had to—"

"Yoh" demanded Ren, "just _how_ did you get to all these places?"

Yoh looked surprised, "none of you guys know? I have another spirit…"

"You **what?.!**" Came the collective reply. (minus Faust and Manta)

Ignoring the incredulous looks, or perhaps not noticing them, Yoh expanded: "yeah, she and Amidamaru get along pretty well, too. I went to go explore the hole of Yomi after the Shaman Fight. It kind of seemed like there was something in there, so I ate a week's worth of ."

(A/N: the hole of Yomi. It's actually a cave, or a tunnel that sucks away the five senses, and even the ability to hear your own thoughts. Also called the tunnel of tartarous, or something)

Yes, Yoh had gone there on his own initiative, meagre though it was. He had a little more drive coming back from the Tournament, just in case. _Just in case_ Hao survived. So he'd gone into the Yomi hole to train his furyoku, and look for something (just what: he didn't know).

"And?" Horohoro prompted impatiently.

"It's great! It looks like an old friend of mine was hanging out there, no wonder I hadn't seen her in—"

"What kind of spirit _hangs out_ in a place like that?" Horohoro asked incredulously.

"Well, I think she got a little lost. But I beat off the Oni and so we made it out of there together! I'll introduce you guys later."

"You never said anything about Oni!" Horohoro blurted. He looked like he was going to have a heart attack. Chocolove and the other's shared in his sentiments. Would Yoh just tell a story from the start? It was like he was too lazy to even explain something properly!

"Well, it's a long story…"

Ren ignored what was being said. He had questions and realizations on his mind. _'The hole of Yomi: a tunnel of complete void. Is he saying… that he could explore and fight in that terrible tunnel without a spirit or a weapon two** years ago? **Just how strong **is **he by now? And what kind of spirit lets him traverse the globe like it was nothing?'_. He'd share his thoughts with his team-mates later, they were going to need some kind of plan or incredible training of some sort.

"Master Yoh, so just who is this spirit?"

"I guess she drifts around, so maybe you never met her, but…"

"Enough, just **tell-us-who-she-is**!" Horohoro demanded, the suspense was killing him.

"Haha, relax!" Yoh became excited as he continued, "her name's Sora and she's the—"

_SLAM!_

* * *

"A-Anna-san?" Tamao blurted, she was sitting in one of Funbari Inn's very own hot-springs with Anna-san and Pirika-san (who had come with her brother) 

"S-So that's what those things were for" Pirika realized, looking at the stack of bricks Anna-san had brought in with her. She had been too scared to ask what they'd been for before, but now she wondered… No, she'd better just let the thought trail off at that.

"So… as you were saying…" Pirika prompted. Yes, better to simply forget that anything ever happened. Bricks? What bricks? (A/N: I like that line)

"Yes, the hurricane caused us no problems. You can see that outside is fine." If Pirika wanted to try to forget, Anna seemed to have already forgotten. "Yoh threw up a high-level, "Asakura-style" furyuoku bubble for rebuffing the elements, it was good training" Anna conversed in a neutral tone.

It was odd, you could never really tell if she was being conversational or not… Pirika tried to ignore the sounds of concern coming from across the bamboo partition that separated her hot spring from the one 'the guys' were in.

"Did anything eventful happen?" Pirika again quired

"Tamao fell into acute hysteria last night"

At this, Tamao stopped nervously looking to the partition and asking if Yoh-sama was "sure he was alright" and instead opted to sit quietly in the hot spring and attempt to shrink out of existence. Her attempts were in vain.

"Sh-she did, did she? That's too bad" what do you do when you're frankly told that the person beside you had fallen into acute hysteria?

"Yes, Tamao's unassertive nature coupled with the shock of seeing Yoh in what she assumed was mortal danger (therefore giving her an overpowering need to be assertive) was enough to effectively fry her mid-to-high level thinking processes"

Pirika was very impressed at the professional psychoanalysis. "Well, I'm glad that Tamao-san is feeling—"

(A/N: psychoanalysis: a psychological analysis, of course!)

"She then proceeded to molest my fiancée"

Pirika's mouth hung open, now _there_ was the mother of all conversation stoppers. What do you do when you're frankly told that the person beside you…

Tamao's head hung even lower, if it were possible

"Of course I was surprised," and indeed she _had_ been for a change, "but she had only the best intentions"

That did it, Tamao sunk under the water in acute embarrassment

"I-I-I," Pirika struggled with a response, _any _response.

Seeing that she wouldn't get any coherent reply any time soon, Anna continued: "Though now isn't the time for gossip. Tamao, Pirika," she addressed the two, "The Shaman Fight will most likely start again, soon."

"**What?.!**" came a shocked duel-stereo response. Tamao even forgot her embarrassment momentarily in her surprise.

"Anna-san, how do you know?" asked Pirika quickly

"Yoh feels as if something big will arrive"

Pirika blinked, "Is… is it really okay to judge it only based on one person's 'feeling'?" she wasn't arguing, really. Anna-san's reasoning was usually solid, she just didn't understand.

"My Yoh's shamanic sense definitely can't be ignored." Anna stated factually, "All Shaman's have a connected to nature. If something is going to happen which will affect life around the world, and if a shaman's shamanic sense is high enough, they can feel that something will happen within their sub-consciousness" she lectured

Pirika's eyes widened in realization and understanding. Tamao (being trained by Yohmei) knew what was going on ever since she heard Yoh-sama had felt something big coming. At this point, the Shaman King Tournament really was the most likely thing it could be, as the identity of the next Shaman King, and the life-giving (and taking) power of the Great Spirit can easily affect all life on this planet.

"The bunch over there," Anna indicated the partition and the 'guy's side', "looks very strange, but they're all high level shamans (except Manta). Did you think they were all here by co-incidence?" Again, when Anna asked you a question, it _never_ sounded like a question

"They've gone their own ways for most of two years, but those guys are friends down to the bone," Anna continued—a lesser woman would become exasperated at so much one-way conversation, "and, sub-consciously sensing something on the horizon, they've felt an urge to gather at the one place they can expect to find each other—to help each other with their problems, as I'm told friends sometimes do."

"Yet those friends will have to fight each other soon for the sake of 'Shaman King'" Tamao commented sadly. The irony was plain to her.

"Yet you let us stay?" Pirika asked

"As a shaman, Yoh needs to relax his body and soul every now and then. It's been a while since he's seen his friends together. Doing that is important for all of them."

* * *

"Ow…" Yoh shook off the pain, he'd just been hit by another brick. 

Chocolove stared at the square, red mark on Yoh's head, "She got him right in the forehead… how did she do that, when she can't even see him?"

Manta shrugged, "It's Anna," he explained, as if that's all that _needed_ to be explained, "she's like… the queen of inflicting pain onto Yoh, or something"

"I guess…" Yoh winced, "she didn't want me telling you about Sora. I'll still introduce you guys later though. And—hey!" he motioned his friends closer and continued in whispered tones, "Anna's going to try to make you guys do all the chores, so you'd better—"

_SLAM!_

* * *

"S-She threw another brick…" 

"Brick, Tamao-san? What brick?" (A/N: such a great line...)

* * *

A/N: Just who is this "Sora"? Will Anna ever get tired of throwing bricks at Yoh? Just how _does _she hit him with bricks when she can't even see him? Will Tamao ever succeed in shrinking out of existence in embarrassment? Will Ryu ever change his hair? Will Manta ever get taller? Find out next time (no, not really) in "Hurricane Yoh: Second Stage!" 

Oh, and review. That, too, of course


	3. Chapter 3: The mighty Asakuras

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I live on top of a small mountain with nothing to warm me other than what fires I can get going with the small twigs I gather from the local Hermit's R Us

A/N: Hmph, at one point in this chapter, I took a break that lasted quite a while. I had been busy, but I also reviewed my work, my style. I lost more in the transition from the free-flow of stage one to the grammer-structure of stage two than I could have possibly imagined. After this pause, I try to bring back the flow—combine the styles—can you tell where? Heh, j00 must ph34r m3, for I am twice as 31337 as 3v4. (Sorry, I've been reading "Megatokyo", the online comic)

* * *

It was a bright and sunny school morning. The cool breeze that blew softly through the trees could be counted as one of nature's rarer and less appreciated gifts. 

Yoh yawned as he got off the bus. The rest of his friends followed behind him.

"Aah, Izumo, is it?"

Anna considered her fiancée. "Yes. You're a horrible Asakura, to not come back here in half a year."

"What about Ryu? He's an Asakura."

"What? I am?"

"W-Well," Tamao spoke up, "you've only trained under Asakura's in your life. Even Anna-san is an Asakura itako, and me: an Asakura shaman"

The gang started their way up the long, long flight of stone steps towards the Asakura compound.

"I still c-can't believe it," Manta huffed. These stairs were killers to people of his—ahem—stature. "To think that (huff) the Shaman Tournament's finally started up again"

"What _I_ cannot believe is that Master Yoh was disqualified!" Added Ryu. Poor Manta, he had to watch a guy with some log-like hair take three steps at a time with ease.

"Y-Yeah (huff) what's up with that?"

"Hey Manta… want a piggyback, or something?" inquired Yoh

"It's not **that **bad!"

"I don't know… sometimes I wonder if you really aren't a minution…" Horohoro mused philosophically

"For the last time, Horohoro, I'm not a—" Manta's shock cut him off mid-sentance

"Hmph, so you finally decide to visit" Yohmei sulked from five stepps up.

"Wh-where did (huff) that old guy come from?.!"

"**Which old guy?.!**"

"I-I mean, nice to see you again Yohmei-sama" Manta cowered

Yohmei ignored the short one, and affixed his attention onto his wayward grandson. The lazy cheeseburger munching, curry bread loving fool that was now the Asakura clan's shining prodigy. Looking at that self-same prodigy yawn and attempt to sleep standing up, Yohmei again wondered just how far the Asakura's had fallen.

_'However,'_ an almost troubling thought insisted, _'two years ago he could stop the Ko-Oni strike _(the tiny leaf shikigami)_ from behind with a sword. Today he stopped Ko-Oni strikes from every direction without moving, using only the force of his furyoku. My grandson, have you become less lazy… or has controlling your furyoku outside your body just become that easy?'_

"Come, Yoh," the ancient man turned to head up the steps and prompted, "the students will want to see you."

"Um… g-gomen, Yohmei-sama"

The ancient man sighed again. What now? When a normal person apologised, you knew that they had done something wrong. When Tamao apologized, it could mean anything under the sun.

"Um… Yoh-sama has fallen asleep"

'_How did it become like this? Our proud Asakura family…'_

"Hmph, I'll wake him"

"A-Ah, no Anna-san, I-I'll—"

_SLAP_

"itai!" (ouch!)

* * *

"Whoah…" Horohoro's voice was filled with awe. 

The group had finished their 10 min. trek up the remaining stairs. They stood gathered on the last step and watched in collective awe at the sight before them. As if taking the final step up the stairs had transferred them to a new dimension, this utterly new scene was taking a while for the group to process and accept as reality.

The Izumo Asakura compound was _teaming_ with life. A diligent air surrounded the place. As far as the eye could see: _Shamans._ Shamans of every age, gender and race training to better themselves in their art. Had the Asakuras grown so much in two years, and why?

Looking at the teaming crowd, which was not divided by age, group, or 'class', but divided by raw skill; feeling the uniform acceptance of this division as tough duelled with tiny, as young lectured old; feeling no less that 100 people put aside their assumptions, their differences, and their pride all for the sake of mutual growth. Never had the Asakura family seemed so mighty, never had their pride seemed so founded, and never had Yoh looked so impossible to match.

"Eeek, Yoh-sama is back!"

The group was knocked out of it's revelling by the arrival of a gaggle of teenage girls who, tired and weighed down by baskets of laundry as they were, still managed to giggle and point and gossip feveredly before scurrying off, presumably to spread the word of "Yoh-sama's return"

"Tch," Yohmei frowned, "undisciplined apprentice levels that can't keep their composure in check"

"Rather than that, they're…" Anna began, sounding unimpressed, "undisciplined teenage girls that can't keep their hormones in check"

The group continued onwards as Yoh continued to nurse his slapped cheek. He tried his best not to fall asleep for now

* * *

The group was in the centre of the Asakura compound's training grounds, standing between a flat area of raised and packed ground (an 'arena' floor for more serious sparring) and the compound's main building. Students trained around them, giving them a wide breath of courtesy room. Ryu seemed to think that there were a lot of young people here, yet there was also a substantial amount of older, more -ahem- mature women that he wanted to go chase after, yet his friends restrained him. After all... they were waiting for a fearful woman to come forth. 

"Hmm," Yoh yawned (the guy can feel sleepy as a matter of will!), "do we really need to wait for 'baa-chan?"

His answer was a heel to the toe. "_Fool!_" Yohmei berated his grandson in whisper, "_do you not know fear? With the support of this many students, you do not know the true fearless punishments of your grandmother!_"

"Hmp! A foolish husband advising a foolish grandson"

The group looked ahead to the main building in shock. _'What's with all the old people suddenly appearing today?.!'_ screamed Manta's mind. For, much as the devil or boogeyman might answer the call of its name, Kino Asakura had arrived on the scene to catch her husband's warning.

"Hello Yoh, Anna, guests. Welcome" the old woman greeted the sweat dropping guests. A few wondered how Kino Asakura could hear whispers from so far away, but none expected less from the woman that trained the fearful 'Queen-of-pain: Anna Kyoyama'. It was commonly believed that both teacher and pupil had broken down punishment to an _art of science_.

"What exactly is my idiot grandson to fear?" she addressed Yohmei, "A training yard full of loyal shamans? Hmph," she scoffed at the idea as she advanced, "the most important player is flawlessly loyal to him. If his spirits will fuse with him, then just the amount of power in this school yard won't be enough. Besides…" Kino looked around at the surrounding bustle coolly: people training and pretending not to listen, "how many of these students have come to our compound for the sake of training in the 'great Yoh-sama's style?'"

"No, not the students, I meant that he should fear your new pride…" Yohmei muttered under his breath. Bad move.

_Thwack!_

No one could _quite_ tell if it was on purpose or not, but Kino had made a sharp turn on reaching the group, sending the cane on her shoulder mightily into the head of her husband. How a blind Itako can do this is anyone's guess.

"Anna," she addressed, "what are you doing here?"

"Indeed," added Yohmei, ignoring the bump on his head, "have you come to train, or perhaps rest?"

"Neither," Anna replied shortly, "Yohmei-sama, Kino-sensei, my Yoh—" Anna was interrupted by a faint beeping, but she continued as if it didn't matter "—is here to fight"

A truly thunderous crash was heard from behind. Everyone turned to see the spectacle. As the dust cloud above the site of impact cleared, a large figure was seen kneeling in a 1-metre-diameter, self-created crater. In the following din of silence, the beeping that Anna ignored suddenly seemed much more demanding.

"Tch," Kino began, "that arena has been damaged twice in this week, only"

"Opponent number one," Anna commented quietly, "is here. Yoh! Get going."

Yoh sighed and looked to his beeping Oracle Bell, was it that time already? _'And I just got here…'_ He begrudgedly took Hurusame (Sword of Light) out of it's case and opened the leg pouch that contained his Antiquity (no way in hell am I typing "Futsunomitama" more than I have to). None of his friends seemed very worried for him, or even particularly interested. He supposed that to them, a preliminary match wouldn't be worth much. _'It's good to relax, but… looking down on your opponent isn't very nice.'_

"What is going on, has the shaman fight begun already?.!" Asked Yohmei in shock

"No, Yoh's been disqualified, he must take the preliminary tests again. He also has five matches, so his fights are starting earlier" Anna spoke in a bored, yet conversational tone.

"Tch, so he's handicapped from the beginning?" Kino surmised coolly. "Just what are the great spirits thinking?" No one had an answer for her, or even a guess. Simply throwing more opponents at Yoh, what would that do? Yet it was the Great Spirits' tournament, there was no changing the rules: only those who followed, and those who broke them.

"Wait!" The large form finally spoke and stood up. He was a tall shaman, and muscled, though only enough to count him as a gym goer and not a muscle fanatic. His short, dirty and messy chestnut hair could not move in the wind, for it was too clumped, "don't you think this is a little unfair? I'm on your home ground and you don't look like much, but you're the famous Yoh Asakura, even I know our levels are completely different."

"And what do you want?" Though the speech was directed at Yoh, Anna was the one to respond and she knew a demand when she heard it, she made enough of them, herself.

"I deserve a handicap! Don't swing that famous giant sword around!" It would be a small victory, and doubtfully won, but the challenger would take every victory he could.

"Hmph, a flashy entrance," Anna admitted scornfully, "but it seems you're all bark after all"

It was true, and the challenger could feel the gazes of the growing crowd of training shamans growing colder in contempt. A feint shout of "squash him, Yoh-sama!" was heard from off to the side. "S-Say what you want! I'm plenty tough!"

Yet he didn't feel so. Looking into the cold eyes of Kyoyama Anna, he suddenly didn't feel tough at all. The sheer disinterest he found there—as if he really wasn't worth considering a threat—was unnerving in it's completion. Just what the hell had he gotten into?

"I'll tell you right now, if you think stopping double medium is enough to slow my Yoh down, you're even dumber than you look."

The man spluttered for a response

"If you want a handicap, we can do better. He won't even use a spirit."

"…" Yoh didn't respond, and the rest of the crowd was rendered speechless as well. Amidamaru made to protest but was interrupted

"Leave Hurusame and Futsunomitama as well."

Yoh now looked quite dejected. He packed his blades into their respective cases and lay them outside the 'arena' before stepping inside, much to the shock of all. _'Normally, I would complain but…' _he thought as he looked to his opponent, _'… it really isn't fair that everyone is putting that guy down, it looks like he's worked hard. Aren't the Asakuras better than this?'_

He sighed, and turned his CD off; he had a different music he needed to listen to if he was going to fight like this. _'In combat, a shaman actually has seven senses. The five senses, the natural human 'sixth sense' of warning, and the shamanic sense. All must be used, and the sense of hearing can tune you in to the music. Anything with an ebb and flow of life has music if you listen for it hard enough and keep you mind open enough. In battle, it is vital to 'hear' that music. All seven senses must be used in a natural, flawless manner.'_

"Hmph, he's gotten a little serious" Anna commented, ignoring the scandalous looks she was getting from Yoh's friends, "this will be good training."

"Is, is this some kind of joke?" The challenger spoke, stunned. Then he threw back his head and laughed "Ha, hahaha! I… After today, I…" before snapping it down in a much more determined look "I will be recognized as **Jichimaru:** the one who defeated Asakura Yoh! **Oversoul!**"

Many were nervous, including the 'freeloading crew' as they saw Jichimaru form the ethereal 'spirit ball' and slam it into a very large gun he produced from inside his shirt while Yoh only stood: loose and impassionate, save the small smile on their face. Hearts and minds were divided. Any mind could foretell the loss of Yoh-sama, yet no heart could accept it when confronted with his easygoing smile.

It seemed to Anna that she had underestimated this "Jichimaru" a little. It was not the high-class "Giant Oversoul" technique, but Jichimaru had a formidable Oversoul none the less. _'At least…'_ she admitted to herself as she gazed upon the giant revolving 24 barrel, high-calibre machine gun surrounded by what could only be guessed were rocket packs _'it has power in long range, but this still won't cause any problems. If Yoh can't handle something like this, then he's been slacking off even more than I thought.'_

Another nervous, hushed silence fell over the crowd. The younger or more excitable audience (Tamao, Manta, various young apprentice shaman) were fretting in worry, while the other half of the audience threw away predictions, and waited to see just what they could learn from this fight.

"I'll finish it in one shot!" Jichimaru declared, throwing his arm straight up and dragging the medium and attached Oversoul up with it. "**Medigo Barrage!**"

For a split second, nothing happened save the slight narrowing of Yoh's eyes. Then came the storm. In an instant, cases uncovered, the barrel spun, and a hundred tiny spikes of death were propelled into the air. And then they split, doubled, redoubled, and doubled again. A hundred threats became half a thousand heraldrers of death.

And of course: what goes up, must come down.

Minds were frozen in horror as the small spikes descended, the uniform prediction was obvious.

But no matter how quickly the situation was moving, and no matter how slowly Yoh moved on a regular basis, Yoh's mind was processing the situation in a precious split-second _'The attack will come from above, it is a simulation of a cloud of arrows being shot by an entire army. The spikes have split several times: power decreases, chances to hit increases. Those things are too weak to faze a Giant Oversoul, but that's not being targeted… one shot through the heart, and it won't matter how strong the Oversoul is. Designed to be frighteningly efficient. This is going to be a little stressful…' _ with a thought, Yoh's muscles and stance relaxed further, ready to take action in any conceivable movement _'At least Horohoro's taking care of the crowd back there'_

The crowd watched, unmoving as the cloud of death gained momentum. All were shamans, many could protect themselves, but from an attack of this spread? None could block it all. So all opted to do nothing, to just watch.

"_Danna!_" (A/N: I'll explain later) Ryu shouted, his own life was precious, but he could survive, what of Yoh? His, instinctive advance forwards was halted.

Horohoro threw his arm and body infront of Ryu. Ryu didn't even have the time to ask what the shorter Ainu guy was doing before—

"**Mososo Kurrupe!**" (Ice Quake)

The Mososo Kurrupe we all know and love had been super-sized to the proportion of a gigantic and translucent wall of ice in front of the spectator's eyes.

"Hm, squeezing out an Oversoul and overcharging Mososo Kurrupe this much is fairly difficult. Not bad" Anna commented offhandedly, for the entire world as if nothing was amiss.

'_**How can** she be so unfazed?.!' _Horohoro was left crouching after the massive feat and, as he saw the world through tear-filled eyes of shame, he didn't know if he would ever want to get up again _'I gave up, gave up on Yoh to do this, he's—_'

Horohoro's face, masked with equal parts: pain and shame turned to a mask of shock as he saw the image of Yoh, distorted through his tears and ice, _weaving _through the cloud of death, eyes closed, body flowing just an inch short of impalement, an inch short of death as black needles of furyoku littered the ground around him, the space behind him, and the air above him; yet _never touching him_.

In a few seconds, the storm of metal had ended, yet it was a second which dragged on for an eternity. Burned into their minds, the Asakura trainee's would for generations talk of the great Yoh-sama, who danced in the face of death with a face serene. The sheer level of skill, the level of danger, the level of Yoh's lack of fear of that danger, and the level of constant tension that ensued caused some to pass out. Others emptied their stomachs in physical rejection of just what the hell they had seen before them.

"He-he dodged it… dodged it all" Jichimaru, the attacker, mumbled in awe. Was **this** Asakura Yoh? He-he couldn't be real, couldn't be human, he was somewhere above… above fate itself. As Jichimaru looked at his opponent, eyes still closed and surrounded by a ground littered with the black needles meant for his death, he truly believed for the first time: Asakura Yoh was _invincible_.

At some point during the barrage, Yoh had had to step onto the existing needles in the ground to continue dodging, there was simply nowhere else to step. And definitely, dodging on top of needles that would pierce your wooden sandals if you stepped on them too hard was now on Yoh's "make sure Anna doesn't think this will be good training in the future" list . _'Dodge: success' _he thought in relief, _'that was harder than I imagined… I'm glad everyone is safe'_. The next instant, the needles he was standing on, as well as those in the ground and those in the ice barrier behind him disappeared. Yoh dropped the short three inches to the ground that were now filled with air. _'A very limited life. But they were made of a furyoku that split several times, after all. At this time… the target should be pierced with needles, and with those gone, the target should now be bleeding openly… it really is a cold and efficient attack. I…' _Yoh frowned, _' don't like it at all.'_

Jichimaru looked as his opponent fell the three centimetres to the ground, eyes still closed. A second later, Jichimaru saw those eyes open and that face dip into a small, disapproving frown. The eyes narrowed slightly, and then, Asakura Yoh was gone.

"Wh-what? Where did he—"

Jichimaru's sentence was cut off by a heavy blow to his stomach. In awe, he was actually knocked back several steps. As he clutched his stomach with his left arm, the one not holding Oversoul, he looked up to see his disappeared opponent in front of him, arm still extended.

"How, _h-how_?" Jichimaru coughed out, what form of attack was that?

"All I did," Yoh whispered as he danced forwards and delivered a rain of light, successive blows, "was run low to the ground, and quickly. You didn't see me, just because… I wasn't standing where you thought I would still be standing and I wasn't moving at a speed you predicted I would move at. Assumptions are dangerous"

Jichimaru stumbled back from the blows, "W-wait! It's, it's impossible. You must be cheating!"

"Without a spirit, a shaman has nothing to put furyoku into..." he demanded, "he's just a normal human! You're using an Oversoul somehow, don't you people understand how a shaman's power works?.!" He appealed to the crowd.

Yoh frowned more deeply, by just a fraction. From the sideline, across a barrier of ice, Anna cut in coldly:

"Bakemono(fool), it doesn't matter what you think a shaman can and can't do, don't begin to think you know what an Asakura can do"

'_She's sounds colder,'_ Horohoro thought_ 'colder than any ice of mine… even Anna must feel, and must feel rage. The coldest rage...' _

"**Kihaku-ken**" (soul-sword) and in one flick of his wrist, a sword of solid blue furyoku appeared in Yoh's right hand. The blade seemed simple and unimpressive, but it had no body. It was a construct of pure furyoku, there was no Guardian Spirit being used. That fact alone made up for lack of ornamentation.

Whispers arose from the crowd such that only fragments of speech could be caught: "Kihaku-ken, such a high-level furyoku materialization…", "I thought it was a myth", "**I** thought it was supposed to be useless in a fight...", "Even Yohmei-sama can't…", "Such raw control…"

Yoh advanced forwards. It was not a run, and not quite a walk. It truly was as if his whole body flowed into one inevitable movement. Yoh brought the faintly shimmering, blue blade of furyoku down upon his opponents Oversoul.

With an explosive crash, that Oversoul was broken, Jichimaru was knocked back. Now unarmed, Jichimaru looked up from the floor where he landed at his opponent, at his better. He got to his feat, he was shocked and fearful, but his opponent was still without a spirit, without an Oversoul. He could win, he _would win_. With a roar, Jichimaru called his spirit into spirit-ball mode and slammed it into his medium once more. "**Oversoul!**"

But by the time his Oversoul was formed, Yoh was already there, bringing Kihaku-ken down once more in a decisive blow.

The explosion of broken Oversoul was a welcomed sound to the spectators.

Jichimaru smiled. He'd been knocked back, but that was to be expected, and he'd noticed something. This Asakura Yoh had a weakness after all. And what a weakness: the weakness of compassion. He had one full, glorious second between assaults. A courtesy time, he supposed, to let him gather his bearings, but a jump backwards and… "**Oversoul!**" then all he needed to do was put all furyoku into this last attempt. He turned around, away from his opponent, and grinned, almost fanatically as he raised his gigantic, 24 barrel, revolving, high-calibre gun-arm into the air "**Medigo Barrage!**"

Yoh's eyes had narrowed further in realization the second he'd seen Jichimaru's smile. By the time the Oversoul had been formed, he'd already been moving, not towards Jichimaru, but to the side of the surrounding crowd which Jichimaru turned to. _'Horohoro isn't **on** that side!'_

"Hahaha!" Jichimaru laughed. Sure he'd be disqualified from the tournament, sure he'd be rend limb-from limb by the ensuing Asakura mob, but he would **forever** be remembered as Jichimaru, the shaman that took down Asakura Yoh! "Ahahahahaha! Finally! FINALLY!"

Yoh wasn't listening, Kihaku-ken was dispelled by the first second, by the second second a small ball of furyoku was being built, stoked inside his soul. On the brink of the third second, he was under the centre of the barrage of death, or close enough. He gave one last leap; the range would have to be made up in power _'let's go!'_

To battle the descending cloud of death; in an instant, a raging hurricane of dispelled furyoku was born. It was bright, perhaps too bright to see. The quantity of raw furyoku exploding outwards was amazing. It was a blast of furyoku that rattled the shamanic sense.

Some thought they heard Yoh-sama's voice screaming throughout the dragging seconds as the torrential force of exploding furyoku reached past the tree-line, reached the needles of death in the air and blew straight past them, straight through them, as if blowing petals in the wind. Many averted their eyes, but all had to close their eyes as they, too were engulfed in the ethereal light. When the storm died out and the crowd looked back, they viewed the aftermath.

Yoh stood.

Panting, but still standing.

...The same could not be said of his opponent.

Jichimaru had been thwarted. Thwarted by Asakura Yoh in one fell swoop. Thwarted by a display of raw power beyond imagining, his entire attack, his Oversoul, and he himself had been banished, defeated.

"Jichimaru," Yoh began sadly as he walked up to meet his fallen opponent, "I think you've worked very hard, and your attacks are very efficient, but… there is no soul, you are detached from your target."

"If you cannot love other people's life," he continued, "and if you cannot pour your soul into your very hard work, into each battle, and into each dream, then just working very hard isn't enough"

"Promise me you won't use Medigo Barrage anymore."

As Jichimaru looked up into the large, sad, and somehow—someway—compassionate eyes of the victor, he wondered: was Asakura Yoh truly invincible? Or… _'W-was it me? Am I… the one that doesn't understand how a shaman's power works? I'm… almost relieved…'_ He was out of furyoku. Completely and utterly dry.

As the world span around him and faded… Jichimaru thought… he heard someone mumble "I promise".

* * *

A/N explanation: "_Danna!_" (I'm pretty sure Ryu doesn't call Yoh this, ever. And I'm pretty sure there is no word such as "Danna", however it popped into my mind that Ryu did call him so, for whatever reason, and so I will now go on and invent the word "Danna" as a title of respect because… I am just that awesome?) 

A/N: yes. Fear my awesome, new, hybrid writing technique. It is fearful in its awesomeness, be not ashamed to admit it. I realize the lack of awesomeness in my recent writing, but the phase of transition is over. I am proud beyond compare. I hope you approve, because even if you don't, I am definitely taking this new style up as the path to awesomeness supreme. Fear it. And for the love of all things good: drop a review. Share your thoughts with the author. Like it? Hate it?

Just a reminder: I'm still updating my author's page with completion percentage status of the next chapters. You can see that my other project was scrapped (I lost interest, and appearently, my readers did too, at least so the statistics say.) so I'll have a little more effort cut out for this one. If you're a person who bookmarks fanfiction you like and check those bookmarks periodically (as I have done before) then you can just bookmark that author's page.


	4. Chapter 4: Sky High

Chapter 4: Fly High

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

From now on, I will take out the customary A/N's I usually put before the story (yay!) and instead give brief segments on the characters in my story and how the story was formed (boo! Stop wasting space, you self-absorbed jerk!)

By the by: Did you know that itako are female spirit mediums in Japan? (loosely translated). Did you also know that they're supposed to be blind? Did you know that Anna _isn't _blind? Right, last one was sort of a stupid question. Anna's full-sight is just another testament to her incredible power. This anomaly was actually one of the factors that inspired her "too much power" status for my story.

It begins.

* * *

"Man, I can't believe that Jichimaru guy... what was he thinking?" demanded Manta of the air. The group (minus Yoh) was discussing the earlier fight . 

"Fame, glory..." Horohoro guessed, "who knows? He didn't even seem to care about weather he was remembered as good or bad: just that he was remembered. That guy needs a vacation, or something."

"At least," Ryu put in, "with Kino-sama looking after the punishment, he may never go back to his underhanded ways again"

"No kidding," Manta joked, "he may never even _move_ again." Ryu had to admit the little guy had a point. Chocolove had to admit the little guy had a _joke_. And he _seethed_ to not have thought of it first.

"And what about that Kihaku-Ken? It was really awesome…" Manta put forwards.

The group was discussing Yoh's last battle inside the Asakura's main building, at a sort of 'living room'-ish kind of area..

Yoh, himself was not here. He was out doing 'light' training.

"No," Ren immediately rebuffed the short one, "that thing is useless. We'll probably never see it again."

Nods were seen around the room.

"But… look at what it did! And everyone was so impressed." Manta insisted

Ren explained himself: "An exercise for training furyoku manipulation It takes a long time to master for very little effect. Asakura techniques like Kihaku-ken are almost useless in straight combat, yet the Asakura's were one of the most feared shaman families in history... Of course, that's besides the Tao."

"…" Silence met him. Firstly, no one was used to Ren being so… forthcoming with _anything_. Secondly, they were all curious to hear more of what the Tao's knew of the Asakuras. Finally, Manta spoke

"But hey… wasn't Jichimaru right? Furyoku can't do anything on its own. You need a spirit to shape furyoku and bring it onto the physical plane." Manta wondered

"A fair question" a voice assented from the doorway. Heads swivelled to catch the figure of the blind itako: Kino Asakura herself.

"Simply put, Kihaku-Ken doesn't exist on the physical plane."

"Wh-What?"

"Hmph, you're confused. I suppose you thought my grandson was knocking that Jichimaru fellow around with it? You'd think wrong. Kihaku-Ken won't work on physical things, but it can cut Oversouls just fine. Jichimaru was knocked around by his own Oversoul being forcibly shattered."

"A truly useless weapon" Ren commented dryly.

"No more useless than a training sword. The Kihaku-Ken is not dangerous: it cannot cut physical substance, and the amount of power one can put in it is limited to a small percentage of furyoku. You will never see it used against anything short of weaklings. The Kihaku-Ken is a useless wepon," the itako reiterated, "but any shaman that masters Kihaku-Ken will be more than dangerous enough."

"Since when," began Ren, "did the Asakuras start handing out their secrets like this?"

"Oh? Then the Tao family's spies haven't even figured this much out? How lax of them."

Ren bristled. It was fortunate (for Ren) that the impending argument was disturbed by another intrusion of people.

"It seems Sora-sama is not here, either Yoh-dono. I worry, shouldn't she come to assist you in the tornament?"

"Haha, it's fine, Amidamaru. She'll turn up. Besides, 'baa-chan can always call—"

_Thwack!_

"Oh, where did you come from, grandson?" asked Kino curiously.

"Oww. The first time she pretended to 'accidentally' hit me with her cane because she's blind—I believed her…" Yoh muttered under his breath, nursing the bump on his head. "But I lost faith in that story really quickly."

Amidamaru, who had accompanied him on his marathon (er, jog) muttered back conspiringly "Perhaps, Yoh-dono, you should stop calling her 'baa-chan'"

"Hehe, no way. 'Baa-chan is 'baa-chan"

"Something worth discussing, grandson?" asked the blind cane-attacker (er, itako) dangerously

Yoh snapped to attention "N-No, Obaa-sama! Morning training: Complete!" Yoh snapped off a salute for good measure. His friends seemed to chuckle from where they sat, but _they_ weren't getting 'accidental' cane strikes to the head all day.

"Are you sure? Your morning training seems unusually light for someone under my apprentice's training regime." Yoh sobbed quietly. He was the _only_ one ever put under Anna's training regime. He could only surmise that letting his fiancée train anyone else would mean the poor fool's death. "I suppose you're recovering from the amount of furyoku you dispelled yesterday"

"Huh?" Yoh seemed confused by her words, "no, I'm fine…"

"No? That brings up the question of just how strong you have become."

* * *

Yoh scratched the back of his head confusedly. "If you want to know… you should just ask Anna. She should know better than me." 

"I _have asked_ my student" the senior itako shot back. "And it seems that her views on your strength are general, at best."

"Haha, then… I guess I don't really know, either" Yoh admitted. "I'm stronger than I was last year, but…" he trailed off. _'there hasn't been a means to measure with lately'_

Kino made a thoughtful sound. She supposed it was understandable. Fighters measured themselves against other fighters. Yet it would seem that Yoh had ascended to a point too far above the shamans he normally ran into to let a proper measure be taken. Hao, that disasterous Asakura, had been able to defeat most of the oponents he met in one blow. His only plausible measurement was therefore that he was a god compared to a normal shaman: unbeatable, invincible. Common sense said that he wasn't. Yet some part of his mind must have reached that conclusion. That was what gave him the righteous feeling that his way was the _right_ way. That was his flaw, that was his downfall. Yoh had become frighteningly strong. Almost too strong. Why would he need that kind of strength? Would he become another Hao?

"If you want to recall that wayward spirit friend of yours, get your fiancée to do it. She needs the practice." The old itako spoke up finally, abandoning her thoughts. Such foolishness. .

"Ah…" Yoh paused, as if he'd been caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar. '_Not good! What can I say?… Ann-chan's itako ability is kind of tenuous right now.' _Yoh mentally grimaced, _'That bandana I gave her should give her some reassurance, but the situation still isn't good.' _

The freeloader-group who was; if you stopped to think about it, now freeloading off of the entire Asakura clan rather than just Yoh for a change; were listening in on the conversation between grandmother and grandson as they offered their varied opinions. However, none dared to voice their revived curiosity in this "Sora" that was once again mentioned, lest a storm of bricks come miraculously flying out of 'nowhere' (caugh-wherever Anna is-caugh).

Kino considered her grandson's reluctance carefully "Itako's commune with spirits," she lectured, "Shamans commune with nature," she surmised simply, while still looking cool and wise with her dark shades and dangerous(heh) cane. "If you can't get an itako to contact the spirit side, then just speak just speak to the nature side"

Yoh's face lit up with understanding. The eavesdropper's faces drowned in confusion. What were they missing?

Shamans can commune with nature: check.

Sora is Yoh's other Guardian Spirit: check.

Kino just told Yoh to contact the 'nature side' of Sora: check(tentatively).

The only Guardian Spirits in this world that are connected to nature closely enough to be spoken to _through _nature are the five Elemental Spirits: check

Sora must be an Elemental Sp—

Oh, sweet and holy mother of cra—

"Hehe, it worked" Yoh's voice came drifting from outside. Apparently, he hadn't thought his friends' confused and thoughtful faces were interesting enough to stick around.

Heads snapped towards the direction of Yoh's voice. Soon after, the group of comrades were bolting for that same direction.

The sight that met them stunned their forthcoming demands for explanations—bricks or no bricks—into silence

Before them a woman made of a light yellow ether delicately stood She stood tall, wearing what could be described as a comfortable summer dress. Cascades of long and slightly curly hair ran down her back. She had a mature and kindly air about her and when she looked past Yoh and Amidamaru to the gaping guests behind him, she tilted her head slightly and gave a small greeting smile.

(A/N: ether has now been explained. It is a real chemical class. Yet at one time, ether was believed to be the fifth and highest element after air and earth and fire and water and was believed to be the substance composing all heavenly bodies . I'm also assuming that ether can be in gas or solid form. )

Ryu didn't even yell "Super!".

In a flash, he was on his knee, presenting the ethereal woman with the bouquet of roses which Ryu always kept on hand in case of emergency. He would have said something, perhaps recited some poetry (god forbid!) but he was yet too stunned by her image. She was not "supermodel" gorgeous, but she had a calm, almost untouchable composure and a free nature within her smile.

The woman, who the group correctly guessed was Sora, did not freak out and run away as Ryu's usual fare tended to do. She took the roses as if it were the most normal thing in the world to be randomly presented bouquets; and seemed to look at her gift appreciatively.

All his friends stared, Ryu didn't know what to do next. He… hadn't ever gotten this far with the roses before! What would he do now?

What, exactly, he would have done will forever be lost to history. Because before Ryu got the chance to screw up his chances with a woman in some new and exiting way, he was left in the dust. Sora breezed past him and headed into the house.

Ryu's mouth dropped open as his face froze in shock. Yoh had sympathy and rubbed his back consolingly, yet what could he say?

"Dude…" Horohoro began "you know she's a _spirit_ right?"

Ren scoffed, "So not only is the woman you're after out of your league, this one doesn't even exist on your plane of reality"

A bead of sweat fell down Manta's head. He chuckled, trying to bring humor to the situation "I thought the glowing yellow body would clue you in…"

Seeing Ryu's hair… thing droop—always a bad sign—Manta immediately regretted his words.

Chocolove chose this time to become philosophical. Indeed, he thought. In depressing times, amateur comedians should just step back and let the professionals take over. Humor—in unskilled hands—was a terrible thing. (because Chocolove is _so_ much better)

"H-Hey," Manta amended, "at least she liked the flowers. Maybe your technique is getting better!" he one prompted optimistically. That seemed to help the tall shaman to revitalize slightly.

"Indeed," Ren's eyes narrowed at Yoh, "She _did_ take those flowers, didn't she? A spirit that can interact with the physical world on her own…"

"Sora-san's really one of the Elementals then?" asked Faust.

"What?.!" Manta stopped looking concerned for the hair-drooping Ryu (who was now being cheered up by Tokageroh), and instead took on a look of shock. "How come **I** didn't know?"

"Huh, you didn't?" asked Yoh

"**I didn't!**" shouted Manta

"I guess I kind of forgot. Remind me next time, okay?"

"If I knew to remind you… you wouldn't need to tell me!" Why must life around his friends be so ridiculous? Why?

"My bad" Yoh admitted.

"So tell us already, is she really one of the Elementals?" Horohoro asked.

"Which one is she?" Chocolove asked as well. It was a good question, there were five element spirits left in the world. The patch tribe and shamans everywhere commonly recognized five elements: fire, water, earth, wood, and metal. Hao had mastered all of those elements, and could change the Spirit of Fire's alignment at will, thus defeating any weakness to the balanced 'cycle' of advantage and disadvantage that was supposed to exist between the elements. It was one of the reasons he had been so unbeatable.

"Well… she's kind of an elemental…"

"**Kind **of?" came the stereo reply.

Any further query was cut off by—you guessed it—a brick.

"Ooow."

"Hmph, I should have given you more training."

Yes folks, Kyoyama Anna arrives on the scene. Socialization and idle behavior of any and all sorts will now proceed to ground painfully to a halt

"If you have time to laze around here and give away secret information to your rivals, then you have time for 10 more laps!" Anna demanded.

"Oh come on!" Yoh protested. "Can't I just—"

"Get going!" she barked.

In fear, Yoh began to run. Weather he was running to train or weather he was just in fear for his life was a question for another day.

"I found a vase for the flowers" a musical voice announced. "Hm? Yoh-chan has run off… I suppose I'll go with him." Sora deduced. For a mature and calm seeming woman, she also didn't seem to care much about anything.

"When did you get here?" Anna asked of the spirit in a direct fashion (her favorite way of 'asking')

"Just now" Sora replied (musically) as she drifted off after her shaman without so much as a 'goodbye'

Various rhetorical questions cruised through the freeloader-group's minds. Did Anna just… get blown off? By a spirit? And is she not annoyed by it at all?

"Hmph, and you lot" the prodigy itako addressed. "It's clear that your curiosity will not cease until your questions are answered."

"Then," Horohoro interrupted hopefully, "you'll answer us?"

"Hmph" Anna held out her palm

Many faces were confused, but Ren's was not. Grumbling something about ruthless ice queens, the Tao successor pulled out about ten-thousand yen (let's see… about $100 US?) and slapped it into the ice queen's waiting palm.

Anna's left eyebrow raised, as if proclaiming that Ren really just _had_ to be joking.

Ren became flustered, somewhat enraged, and slapped another ten-thousand yen into Anna's waiting palm. _'Highway robbery!'_ his business mind demanded.

Anna proclaimed that the group had "one question" and then began to coolly count her ill-begot cash.

Chocolove was sorely tempted to ask 'how many Minutians it took to screw in a light bulb' but restrained himself.

It was Horohoro that eventually asked the question on eaveryone's mind. "What element is she?"

"It should be obvious, but it seems you lot aren't quite that smart."

Cue: ticked off looks.

" 'Sora' is just what Yoh calls her."

"She's actually the Spirit of Air."

* * *

(A/N: Minutiouns are called Koropokkur in Japanese, in case anyone was confused or whatever. I would use Koropokkur, but it's just so much harder for so little reason other than sheer consistency. Which, let's be frank, I don't really care for right now) 

Yoh was running down the path that outlined his laps for today. Sadly, today he was doing laps around the whole perimeter of the Asakura compound. A roughly 4 mile circuit, he at least had the supportive words of any shamanic students he met along the way, as well as the company of his two very close friends: Amidamaru and Sora.

"Hm, Yoh-chan?" Sora inquired.

It was odd, yet she had always used the "-chan" with him. Did she think he was very cute? _'Well, Sora is Sora. It somehow doesn't seem that unusual.' _Out loud, he only prompted:"Yeah?"

"Those little girls that tried to keep up with you said something odd after they gave up" Sora informed. The 'little girls' being around Yoh's age.

"What's that?" Yoh asked. He was reminded that you couldn't really rush conversations with Sora. She would say what she wanted to say—in those rare times she had _anything_ to say—eventually.

"They mentioned," Sora continued, "that 'Yoh-sama is so _hot!_'" Sora paused

"Are you hot, Yoh-chan?" she inquired.

Yoh blinked. They thought he was hot?

"No, not really. Am I sweating a lot? What do you think, Amidamaru?"

"You seem fine, Yoh-dono. Perhaps it is some form of secret code…" the samurai guessed.

"Ah, that's it," Yoh reasoned, "girl code. It can't be cracked by us Amidamaru, don't even try" he advised.

Amidamaru nodded in assent.

Yoh carried on, jogging in companionable silence until he reached the part of the circuit where he was supposed to jog down—and then up—the stairs. Weights are still on, people.

"Yoh-san!" came a determined voice. It was Pirika (Pillica). "Have you seen my brother? I (huff) finally made it back from Hokkaido! I brought (huff) all his training equipment!"

_'no wonder she's huffing'_ Yoh thought. On her back, Pirika carried several stacked bags. Carrying bags under each arm as well, Yoh could only surmise that Horohoro was in for some heavy training with a capital "HEAVY". (A/N: Ah, see? It's technically correct, because I made all the letters in "heavy" capitalized.)

Horohoro, his comrade in female-inflicted intensive training… it was good to have someone who could understand his pain.

Yoh smiled a little. In the end, Pirika really wanted to do what she could for her brother. He considered asking her to decode the girl-message "Yoh-sama is so _hot!_" but thought better of it, and sent her huffing along in the general direction of her now-doomed brother.

* * *

"I don't get it" Manta proclaimed. The group had not moved from their location. They now pondered the nature of Yoh's secondary spirit. "I didn't think there _was_ an air element." 

"There isn't" Chocolove replied. _Any_ shaman knew the five elements.

"The story goes," Faust recapped for his short friend, "that the Great Spirit created the five element spirits one day. One for each element: Fire, Water, Earth, Wood, and Metal."

"The Spirit of Fire stayed in Dobie Village, and the other four spirits remain somewhere else in the world, though no one knows where they are." Horohoro continued

(A/N: that Shaman Villiage where the Great Spirit stays.)

"So where did this Spirit of Air come from?" Chocolove asked. "Was it created after? Is it a secret spirit?". "Well? Speak up people! I can't **Air** you!" He proclaimed dramatically. The crowd went wild… with rage. It was a full five minuets before the ensuing "beat up Chocolove" tussle calmed down.

"He had a point though" Manta admitted. "_Maybe_ it was some kind of super-secret spirit that the Dobie tribe asked the Grate Spirit to make. I mean, Hao could change Spirit of Fire's element at will, right? The most dangerous spirits to him, the elementals, were all at a disadvantage because he could change his element to suit their weaknesses!"

"But if there were a spirit that existed outside the five-elemental cycle... it would have a fair chance." Horohoro mumbled in realization.

"Yeah!" Manta became exited. He loved these kind of secret detective things, "and then, Hao learned about it, and locked it up in the Hole of Yomi!"

The group had to admit: that was a very sound scenario. Yet…

"Hey… the students around here seem pretty familiar with Yoh's techniques, couldn't we just ask them?" Chocolove wondered aloud.

Silence. No one said anything. Horohoro would have commented that Ren had wasted twenty-thousand yen, but then he would have to admit that he, himself, had wasted most of the afternoon when the answers to their questions could be found by asking any random apprentice they found.

The group, struggling hard to hide their stupidity (come on, we've all been there) stood up stiffly and prepared to go ask some apprentices.

Horohoro coughed to clear his throat. "Come on, Ryu! Let's go interrogate some mature, busty apprentice about the Spirit of Air."

"SUPER!" Ryu yelled and surged to his feet, his hair combed and his teeth shining.

"S-Such a fast recovery" Manta said in awe. He was smiling because, yes, it was funny. But his cheek was also developing a twitch. _'That guy… after my efforts to cheer him up!" _

Horohoro laughed, but was cut off when a bag came sailing, sailing, through the air and nailed him right in the face. _'W-What am I? Yoh?'_ he thought painfully as he crashed down into the ground.

"Onii-chan! Training time!"

_'Oh no'_. Horohoro knew that voice. He knew that voice and he knew those words. They were engraved into his nightmares forever. He didn't even try to remove the heavy with-gear bag resting on his face. If he could just lay there, in the ground and pretend Pirika wasn't here, maybe—

Oh, he had an idea. (A/N: His ideas never seem to end well, but far be it from me to be pessimistic)

Horohoro stood up and protested loudly. "Oy! I don't have time for you right now, Pirika! Me and the guys are busy investigating—"

"Enough! Dodge!" Pirika immediately began to throw various household items at her elder brother in an attempt to heighten his reflexes.

"Ow!" came a cry of pain from an innocent victim of the crossfire: Manta. A thought buzzed around inside his head before he collapsed onto the floor in high-velocity, coffe-mug induced pain.

"Little sisters..." Horohoro spat out darkly as he dodged to the side. "You buy them a coffee mug and they turn around and nail your friend in the head with it. Is there no justice? Why must all the women we meet be so violent?"

Alas, though it seemed Chocolove had an answer (or a joke) he was nailed in the head by a small paper weight and lost consciousness.

_End Chapter 4: Sky High. _**There is an Omake after the closing notes. You have been informed.**

* * *

I like not the notorious clifhangers, therefore I end chapter here. Great be me. Grateful be _you. _

A/N: Dun-dun-**Duuuun! **(dramatic music). The secret is out, and I managed to drag it through a whole chapter, yay me! Sora is actually the spirit of air. This is an important concept! She is important! The five basic elements, and Sora's existance outside of that is also important! Got it memorized? (Kingdom Hearts 2 reference, you don't have to memorize the elements)Was tough to write for a little while, then bam! I stopped being so picky, and words flowed like waer. A precious, kind review gave me courage. Because in the end, I don't do this just for me. I do it for you guys too, because I want to share the thoughts in my twisted little mind with all who would enjoy them. Fear my awsome dedication to my readers. The story has updated. Are you shocked? Of course you aren't. You're used to it by now. And yet I need to keep getting these responses. I need to know that people are still enjoying it or what's the point in uploading it? I can just keep the words in my head. Much easier.

Just a reminder: I'm still updating my author's page with completion percentage status of the next chapters. You can see that my other project was scrapped (I lost interest my readers did too. I felt no guilt, I gave fair warning and so. It became obvious that no one had enjoyed it.) so I'll have a little more effort cut out for this one. If you're a person who bookmarks fanfiction you like and check those bookmarks periodically (as I have done before) then you can just bookmark that author's page.

* * *

Omake:

What if… Anna was less of a pain to live with? (just a little. Miracles come one drop at a time.)

What would the price for her being less of a pain be? I'm going to keep the part of her life where she was abandoned by her parents at a young age, as well as the part where she gains and losees the power to read people's minds and drown in thier darkness. I'll also keep the part where the Asakura's take her in and engage her to Yoh. Beyound that, it's up in the air

_Begin. _

"Yoh!" called Anna Kyoyama: Yoh's beautiful (yet cold and dangerous) fiancée.

"Ah, coming!" Yoh proclaimed, unstrapping his weights and letting them fall to the floor. He walked inside the Funbari Inn (his house)

"Ann-chan, what's up?"

Whatever Anna had originally called Yoh for, it was replaced by "How many times have I told you, it's not Ann-chan!" she glared daggers at him for good measure.

Yoh chuckled and ignored the glare. He walked up and embraced his fiancée in a hug. Hug and smile, hopefully it would get him out of trouble

"Asakura Yoh," came the wintry voice of his fiancée. _'Operation distract Ann-chan: fail! Run for it!'_. But Yoh hadn't made it farther than unwrapping his hands before Anna grabbed his arm in her iron-like grip.

_'The hug **never** works!'_ he mentally lamented. _'**why** do I keep trying it?' _

"Asakura Yoh," Anna repeated, "did you just track your muddy sandals into our house again?" her grip tightened. Fear Yoh, fear for your life. Fear will give you an edge, a chance for survival!

"Do you know…" the angry Anna (never a good type of Anna to be around) continued, "how much effort goes into keeping this floor **clean?**"

Using her monstrous strength, Anna punctuated her question-to-which-there-is-no-reply-that-does-not-bring-pain by dragging Yoh's arm around until he built up enough momentum to slam him effectively into the wall.

"What have you to say for yourself?" she demanded Yoh, who had crashed through the wooden wall and into one of the guest rooms.

"Sorry, Ann-chan" Yoh replied as he sat up from his prone, post-'I've been thrown through a wall' position. And he _looked_ sorry. Not hurt (she sometimes regretted toughening him up so much) but sorry. And looking into his deep, soulful eyes, Anna was ensnared. Hypnotized. And she knew it. And damn him, but _he_ knew it.

_'No!'_ her mind protested feebly, _'must… retain… anger. But he really **is** sorry, I… damn. What a fool I am. Getting engaged to such… such a wonderful fiancée, I…I... damn. There's no way I can stay angry.' _

Anna sighed. And as she let out that breath, it was as if she was breathing out her resentment to Yoh: the ruination of floors. She slowly walked over to him and collapsed into his arms, sitting on his lap.

"Baka" she declared as she looked up at him. "I have to clean the floor again. The wall too."

Yoh winced and looked guilty, though the wall might not have been all _his_ fault.

Anna sighed into his chest, frustrated. "It's too tiring to stay mad at you, Baka-Yoh" she accused. She felt a finger under her chin, and soon she was looking up into her fiancée's concerned eyes.

"I'll fix the wall…" he offered as he dropped a light kiss onto her creaseless forehead. Yet _his_ brow was creased in concern. "Ann-chan is jumpy today… what's wrong?"

Anna pulled her head away and placed it back in her fiancée's chest. She said nothing.

"Ann-chan," Yoh said reproachfully, "something's bothering you… tell me" he insisted

"No" she muttered into his chest childishly

Yoh frowned. There was very little in this world that could make him frown. He pulled Anna away just enough to kiss her ferociously.

Anna wasn't quite sure what happened. She never was. Always he would tower over her. She would be covered in his shadow, lost in his eyes. And then she would be drowning, melting under the dizzying taste of her fiancée's lips. Always she resisted, always she fought the sensation, the weakness. And always she lost.

Ten minuets later, she was nestled in strong, familiar arms. The only arms, she knew, that would ever always be there for her. The world spun, it glowed. She was melted, she knew. The 'Ice Queen' had melted into a vulnerable mush of woman. Vulnerable yet invulnerable. Because nothing could touch her here, not in these arms. Not now, not ever. _'those giggling girls are always ogling my Yoh's looks. Always looking. If they knew… how wonderful he is… when we're all alone, even I couldn't scare them off. _

She gazed up to see the welcome sight of Yoh's face. It was all she wanted to see. And she realized that her fingers were tangled in his hair. She felt lazy, relaxed, drunk on life. So she untangled them and let them drop where they would.

"Ann-chan," Yoh began softly as he buried his face in her hair, "what's wrong? I haven't seen you like this… in a while now…"

"Your grandparents are coming over today" she mumbled sleepily. She couldn't resist. Anything he asked now, anything he wanted, she would give him. She couldn't ever resist because she knew… she knew he would do what it took to protect her, to help her. It had always been like that. She didn't want… to be protected, but… she was so safe here. Here in his arms. Safe and warm. Could she be blamed? Soon, soon they would come. His grandparents. The matriarchs of the Asakura family. They would come and see her house, see her inability to look after even that much, and the marriage would be off. She was a useless human. Not even a shaman, not even an itako. Nothing. If she was not worthy to be a wife, then how could she be a daughter-in-law? How could she be an Asakura? They would take him. They would take him _away_. Away from her forever. They'd take him away and give him to… to that Tamao Tamura or, or any one of a thousand women, a thousand shamans who all wanted him. Her Yoh. They'd take him _away_, she'd never, never see him again. Her whole body was warm and lucid. Yoh was heating her. Yet from the pit of her stomach, a cold ate away at the warmth. Those wonderful arms could keep her safe from anything but nothing, nothing could save her from herself. The cold spread through her soul, she knew it would not last. She knew she could not keep him. Her light, her warmth, her solace. She would cry, as a child that has lost the world would cry, but she was too afraid. Afraid of the dark and cold world without him. She could see nothing else. Only a blank encasement of cold. For cold is only the lack of warmth, the lack of Yoh.

Yoh looked down at his fiancée of five years. He didn't like what he saw. It was always wonderful. A gift. To see her wrapped in his arms. Yet this was… fear. Fear lay in her eyes. Engrained in them now. So deeply, so completely. As if she were a caged animal, as she had no way out, as if she were already dead. He became angry. If it took a lot to make him frown, it took much more to make him angry. There ware very, very few things in this wide and vast world that could do it. Seeing his Ann-chan like this, scared in his arms, was one of those things. He kissed her again. It brought tears to her eyes. It was warm and wonderful, but she could not keep it, she knew she could not keep it. And so: as fast as the comfort spread, the fear consumed. And so she cried.

Yoh caressed her hair, and rocked her form. He had not seen her like this in such a long time. He was angry. Him, the laughing slacker, the gentle wind. And his fury was that of a cyclone, that of a Hurricane. "Let them come" he whispered. Not gravely, but solidly. Factually. As if they were nothing to fear. Whatever fear they may ignite, however they could slow him down, they would not stop him. They could not. Not now. "Let them come, for nothing will change. Nothing will take you away. Nothing will take me away. Do you understand?" he asked the last more gently.

She shivered, she wanted to believe him. She should believe him, she knew.

"I don't care" he insisted firmly. "I don't care if you think you don't deserve me, I don't care if you think you're not enough. Because I don't think I deserve you either" he smiled a little ruefully. "That's how it's always been. That's how it works between us. And I'm not going to let you go."

She nodded.

"Let them come if they will"

_Owari (end… of Omake that is)_

_

* * *

_Completion time (for Omake): 2 hours. Very good time. But then, it was my first omake. I threw care to the wind and fell into a "Trance". This is "The Zone". Very similar to the trance I used back in much of "Fist Stage", before I started trying to apply writing science to my work. Much harder to fall into while simultaneously looking for word and event structure.


	5. Chapter 5: Backdraft Explosion

Chapter 5: Back draft Explosion

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

By the by: The inspiration for the title "Hurricane Yoh" actually began with the concept of giving Yoh the Spirit of Air and the Spirit of Water. Those two candidates suited his personality, I thought. Flow. If you attack air or water, they just accept it and flow right back. Oh, but there wasn't a Spirit of Air in the shamanic elements, back then I didn't know what the 5 elements they actually used were. Yet in the end, one spirit was enough. And I really love the things that can work with Spirit of Air.

It begins.

* * *

"D-Damnit, Horohoro. Keep your sister under control!" Ren demanded 

"I can't believe it" Manta stated as he limped forwards with his friends, " Why did even I get dragged into it?"

"Horohoro, your sister is terrifying. Even Anna-okami will let the non-combatants make it to safety" Ryu proclaimed.

Horohoro mumbled something about evil little sisters before a gaggle of teenagers walked aimlessly in front of the group of friends.

"Excuse me," Faust began. And to their credit, the group of girls didn't get instantly spooked out and run away, "do you four know about Yoh-kun's Spirit of Air?"

"Of course!" one of the more excitable girls declared. "You guys are Yoh-sama's friends, right? Yoh-sama is always working on his greatest techniques around here."

"Here?" asked Ren

"Of course. For secrecy. Se-cre-cy!" The girl lectured, waving her finger for emphasis. Her friends nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"You guys sound knowledgeable." Horohoro observed

"Ho ho!" Another girl piped up. "Because Yoh-sama is the greatest! And you're in luck. You've found the Yoh-sama appreciation comitee!" she finished dramatically. They're ego seemed to puff up noticeably.

Ren wore a confident smirk. Perfect. "Then experts, I'll procure your services." He produced a large sum of cash and held up for emphasis.

"Th-That's…"Manta stuttered as he pointed

"Two hundred-thousand yen!" Chocolove finished in shock.

"Hmph, this is nothing to the Tao family. My allowance is already—"

_Slap!_

The sound resounded throughout the area. Ren's loose palm dropped two hundered-thousand yen onto the ground in shock.

"Horrible." The girl in front of him accused darkly. Ren noticed that her eyes were cold now. "You're Yoh-sama's friends. If Yoh-sama won't tell you something, will you just go behind his back?"

The other girls had cold eyes too. Eyes that said they were looking at dirt. That they were better than those they looked at. That they were better than Ren Tao's two hundered-thousand yen. In unison the group bowed shortly. "Excuse us, we have training in the front yard now. Goodbye." And they were off.

'_from carefree and sociable to cold and distant in an instant… '_ "Hmph, so this is the Asakura Clan" Horohoro said aloud

"It's commendable" Faust commented

"It's not that Yoh-kun won't tell us…" Manta sulked, feeling misunderstood. "… but rather, Anna won't let him tell us."

"Guess this way's no good" Horohoro commented.

"Oy, Ren. Shouldn't you pick up your cash before it gets blown away?" Chocolove asked. As a poor comedian, it pained him to see such amounts of money treated so trivially.

Ren said nothing. He was frozen in place.

"Hehehe, he's still in shock." Manta pointed out

"You'd think with hair like that he'd be used to rejection!" Horohoro chimed in.

"W-What? Shut up! You—" Ren said, incensed

"Comrade! I understand your pain well; but you must move on" Ryu advised

"Don't put me in the same boat as you!" Ren shouted

"It's okay, Ren-kun" Faust placated "true love takes time."

"You bastards!"

* * *

"Y-You… are you rejecting me?" 

"Gomen(sorry) Kohatsu-kun. There… there's already someone that I like." Tamao stuttered.

"But…" the young man trailed off. He couldn't believe it. Rejected, him? In front of all these people? "But you said that last year! I've waited, waited for a year! Yoh-sama already has a fiancée and you won't even give me one date!"

"I know he already has Anna-san, but…" she blushed.

"You can't just reject me in front of all these people!" Kohatsu he pulled Tamao to him by the arm and whispered feveredly so as not to be overheard by their spectators.

"I'm sorry Kohatsu-kun. I didn't want to talk here, but you insisted…" Tamao said softly

"Am I not **enough** for you?" he demanded.

"Please… y-you're hurting me. Let go" Tamao protested weakly

"He's going to make her cry!", "how horrible, is that really Kohatsu-kun?", "he's the worst", "but he's usually very nice!" whispers arose from the crowd. It seemed the girls—in particular—were becoming tired of playing spectator roles and were becoming increasingly incensed.

'_N-no good, I'm being made into the bad guy. Damnit, this wasn't supposed to be how things went.'_. Kohatsu immediately backed off and apologized.

At this point, Anna showed up and barked at the trainee's to get back to work. They scattered.

Tamao turned and tried to leave as well.

"So you rejected another one? You seem quite popular with the boys, Tamao" Anna commented, her arms crossed.

Tamao flinched at being addressed and stopped short.

"So that's Kohatsu." Anna observed. "I only hear good things about him. Isn't that kind of person called a 'catch'? You're quite lucky." She observed neutrally. "He's what people call 'cute' too. You shouldn't turn him down."

Tamao finally turned to face Anna but looked down, she always had trouble meeting Anna's eyes. "P-People do call him cute… but Anna-san doesn't think he's cute… right?"

Anna's eyes narrowed.

"Anna-san…" Tamao gathered her courage, "Anna-san has to rely on which traits are called cute on soap operas and in magazines, and then match them to people to see if they're cute. You can't just tell on your own" Tamao found that she could look into Anna's eyes now. She stopped stuttering too. Because she had nothing to loose, she lost a long time ago.

Anna took a dangerous step forwards. "How do you…"

"Anna-san only sees two classes of people," Tamao continued through her trepidation, "Yoh-sama and everyone else. Only Yoh-sama looks cute to you."

Anna frowned slightly. And Tamao only smiled a big, sad smile through her tears. She didn't know why she was saying these things, or just where she was getting her courage from, but she continued heedlessly.

"No matter how much people tell me someone's cute… I can't care. I can't feel," Tamao admitted sadly, "maybe it's because of our childhoods. We're pretty weird, Anna-san. It isn't normal to only be attracted to one person."

Anna considered Tamao for a long moment—sighed—and admitted "No, it isn't"

Tamao smiled, nodded; bowed deeply, and left wiping her tears.

Anna looked away in silent contemplation, '_So Tamao is the same, how strange... Something will have to be done.'_

* * *

"Yoh-dono!" came a shout over the mental link 

"Aaa, we can't stay on the ground like this." Yoh commented out loud. He was surrounded by his grandfather's tiny, green shikigami. This exercise was supposed to increase accuracy and evasion skills while simulating battle with numerous enemies. As always, there was a fair-sized crowd to watch. Though it was now composed more of youngsters due to the time of day (school was out now, after all).

Yoh positioned the enormous "Spirit of Sword" behind him and rocketed into the air with his patented "Oversoul missile" technique. As he spotted his friends approaching from his spot ascending into the sky, Yoh decided to wave to them.

"I think Yoh-kun just waved to us…" Faust commented.

"Tche, it hardly matters" Ren commented

"Oversoul Missile. It's amazing right?"

The group gave curious looks to the mysterious speaker.

"You look confused, forget us already? The Yoh-sama appreciation club."

"You slapped me, earlier" Ren observed.

"If Yoh-sama doesn't mind showing it to you, then we'll just do the explanations for him" the girl commented, receiving nods from her friends, "you're his friends, after all."

"Oh… I see" Manta said, sounding like he didn't understand the logic at all.

"Aren't you going to pay us off, Ren Tao?"

"Hmph, I don't want to get slapped again" Ren smirked.

In silent understanding, the girl who slapped him smirked back

"Oversoul Missile is an advanced technique. Yoh-sama transforms the blade into a rocket booster. The difficulty level is very high. There isn't anyone else alive that can tamper with the energy in a double medium like that and the amount of strain the body undergoes as it is rocketed forwards is equivalent to being strapped onto the nose of a rocket ship. It's easy for Yoh-sama though," the girl commented solidly, "he's the best."

The crowd raptly watched as Yoh rocketed skywards and easily dispatched of the pursuing shikigami.

_Up in the air…_

"_Yoh-dono!"_

"Aa, this is too easy. Jii-chan(grandfather- informal) won't let it stay like this"

Yoh looked down just in time to catch the image of his grandfather thrusting his palm into the ground. A storm of leaves flew upwards. Yoh had to guard his eyes and brace himself as the torrent reached him. _'Not good'_ Yoh switched Spirit of Sword from 'rocket form' to 'blade form' and waited.

_On the ground…_

"Not bad…" Horohoro muttered "that old guy's got some moves. Yoh's been surrounded."

Even from the ground, the spectators managed to catch the forming of small blue shikigami from the leaves at random angles around Yoh.

They were dispatched in a flash of movement.

"What the…" Horonoro said in awe

"Tactical Circle," the head of Yoh's fan club spoke up, "in a split second, Yoh-sama judges the location of every enemy within a 360 degree field, then plots a slashing course, and combines the blade's normal form with Oversoul Missile. Power traded for a slashing speed so great, only Yoh-sama could possibly control it." She spoke haughtily.

"Hmph, I could do it" Ren commented self-importantly.

"Then let's see!" a club member dared.

"…" Ren remained silent

"Thought so."

* * *

"Not bad, Yoh" Yohmei praised, "it seems you've actually begun to train seriously." 

"Anna" Yoh provided in lieu of an explanation. Yohmei nodded in understanding. "But Jii-chan, you're still keeping pretty fit, too"

"Kino" The old man provided in lieu of an explanation.

The pair of Asakura men, two generations apart, shared a chuckle of sympathy and understanding; then—in unison— their brave fronts broke down and they cried openly for a short time. No one blamed them.

* * *

It was in the dead of night. A full moon hung in a cloudless sky over the Asakura compound. And Yoh was quietly sneaking out of the house like only a teenager who is engaged to Kyoyama Anna could sneak out of the house... 

"Yoh, it's late, what are you doing up?"

...That is to say, he was so unsuccessful, it was almost amusing.

"A ha ha," Yoh chuckled nervously, "I couldn't sleep?" he finished weakly

"Your oracle bell is flashing" Anna observed unimpressed

"Is it? Hmm… I'll just… step out for a bit… get some batteries?" Yoh said unconvincingly

Anna had enough already, in two quick strides, she grabbed his wrist and brought the oracle bell screen into reading view.

"I see…" Anna said, her voice quavering a little. Just a little. "I'll get the others"

"What? Anna…" Yoh protested

"No, Yoh. You've got a match, those friends of yours will want to see this." Said Anna

"But…"

"No "but"s. The times where men could leave their fiancée's asleep in their beds and steal away in the middle of the night to fight evil are long gone. Bedsides... whenever you get out of sight, you always end up doing something stupid."

Yoh bared the insult silently. What could he say? She was just trying to look out for him, yet… "I'll come back Ann-chan, don't worry. But it's dangerous…"

Anna, who had been heading off to the guest rooms, spun to face him with a hint of a somewhat wild expression, "If it's dangerous, then you sure as hell aren't leaving me here!"

Yoh's eye's widened at the passionate undertone in Anna's voice. _She needs this._ "…Okay, Anna. I'll wait here."

"Good."

Anna left for the guest rooms again and Yoh looked down at his oracle bell again, just to check.

The luminous screen flashed periodically. The words on it did not change. The fate in front of him did not change.

* * *

"Aah, Ototou. Good to see you." The destroyer greeted. Yoh stood facing his opponent in a dark clearing of trees behind the Asakura compound. His friends and family stood behind him in support. Just as his opponent's supporters stood behind **him**

"Aniki" Yoh greeted evenly. "Back from the dead already?"

Hao chuckled in response, "Of course! I had to make it back for the tournament, you see. I'm not going to wait another 500 years."

"Do you really still want to have a war with non-shamans?" asked Yoh sadly

"Which war? It is simple genocide, taking out the trash. And you, Yoh, are the last force on this planet that has the potential to stop me. Isn't it fitting?" Hao said

"Yes, I'll stop you" Yoh stated

Hao chuckled darkly "My Ototou, it's true you've somehow grown more than I have in these two years. But you still fall short, where will you get the furyoku you need to match me?"

"It's a secret." Yoh replied unflinchingly.

"Heh, enough of this. We don't want to keep our spectators waiting Ototou, it's rude."

Yoh gave his twin a look, "If you want to attack, then say so honestly Aniki."

Wordlessly, Hao charged. With a flick of his wrist the great Spirit of Fire had formed into that same broadsword of solid fire with runic designs which he had used on Yoh, those years ago in front of the Great Spirits. The only difference: the runes were golden, not white. A by-product of the Great Spirit's stolen power.

Yoh smoothly brought his two blades together and wordlessly summoned forth Spirit of Sword's smaller, more condensed form. He had outgrown the need to use spirit reduction on the larger form a long time ago.

Yoh received his twin's attack smoothly and was pushed back. "No Giant Oversoul, Aniki?"

Hao replied calmly as he pushed his twin back "That thing is more efficient for taking out trash. I'd been using it for so long, that I'd forgotten what it was like to truly utilize my skills." Hao and Yoh's blades clashed, neither fighter looking to give up any room, "You're not trash Yoh, I understand that now." Hao suddenly broke the lock and leaped back. "Get ready fro the true skill of the greatest Asakura: Asakura Hao!" The destroyer seeped his blade forwards and a torrent of superheated flame burst forth.

Yoh dodged to the side, but found himself in the path of yet another stream of fire. Yoh reacted "Shinkuu Badagiri(celestial slash)!" he cried, letting the red crescent slash slice through the fire, parting it, and continue to do the same to Hao.

The crescent slash approaching him at blinding speeds, Hao remained unimpressed. He smoothly brought his blade across and broke red crescent into tiny dissipating shards of furyoku, mere inches from his face.

_Hao's right_, Yoh couldn't help but think, _He predicted my dodge and was already attacking at the spot I would move to… It's no longer about facing the monster Asakura Hao, but rather facing the warrior Asakura Hao. It's infinitely more difficult. Sometimes I wonder how I get into these messes_

"Otouto," the renowned shaman began, "Don't you feel silly, fighting Spirit of Fire with that little samurai spirit of yours? A metal element sword like that can't beat my fire."

Yoh stood straight and sighed. "Fine, enough with the warm up. Amidamaru, sit this one out."

"Hai, Yoh-dono!" came the instant reply. Amidamaru separated and joined the spectators on the sidelines.

"So he's going to use Sora now?" Manta whispered to the spirit conversationally

"Hai, It's true that as a samurai spirit of metal element, I have a disadvantage against fire. But more importantly, when Yoh-dono becomes serious, I cannot keep up for long at my current level. I must rest."

"Spirit of Air," Yoh commanded, "spirit ball mode! **Oversoul!**".

Hao watched in surprise and intrigue as his twin did something he'd never truly thought of. He slammed the spirit ball into his own chest

"Hyoi Gattai?" Hao's blue-haired witch scoffed "pathetic" 

"No, Kanna. That is oversoul, and the medium is Yoh's entire body itself." Hao grinned. He felt… excited. How many centuries had passed without a challenge? How long had it been since he'd seen something new?

The wind around Yoh seemed to pick up, as small wisps and tendrils of yellow ether danced playfully around him.

Eyes still closed, Yoh concentrated on a second medium. Slowly, his headphones began to glow a hot yellow.

"What a fabulous technique" Hao appraised, breaking his own oversoul.

Seeing what he was about to do, Yoh warned Hao "Aniki, if your not in tune with the spirit enough, you'll die."

Hao remained undaunted "Let's see, the Spirit of Air chose you because you were very similar. But the Spirit of Fire chose me before that!" he shouted as he slammed the spirit ball into his chest.

"Invigorating" Hao breathed, "Ototou, you created something excellent" He could feel the fire coursing through his very veins, closer to his fingertips than ever before. "Lets see, and something like… this?" he mused as he grasped the oxygen in the air for a second medium, summoning forth his broadsword (now glowing brighter than ever as a double medium) once again.

"Now," the destroyer began as his burning red blade flashed blue. "Which element to use? It has been a while since I could not take advantage of elemental weakness… to think that all this time, there had been a wind element. Ototou, you keep finding great things. I'll have to change my symbol to a six-sided star after this, rather than a five-sided one" he mused, finally settling his blade's colour on a luminous silver before striking it blade first into the ground. "Come forth, metal of earth!"

Rather than diving to the side or some such thing, Yoh rocketed forwards as sharp metal spikes protruded from the ground beneath where he had been standing. A solid yellow broadsword much like his twin's formed in his right hand, though slightly thinner, longer, and more runic.

The brother's blades met in a fantastic clash of wind and exploding shrapnel again and again and again. A deadly dance of elements ensued as Hao cycled through his unprecedented library of elemental techniques, neither combatant gaining an edge.

"I need some room, Ototou" Hao informed, giving a great push on their interlocked blades, and sending his twin flying backwards from the ensuing explosion of fire. The legendary Asakura danced backwards and spun full circle, blade flashing green for the first time this fight as he preformed a wide horizontal slash to the empty air. Noting the lack of explosions or floods of any kind, the spectators briefly wondered just what Hao had done.

Yoh's grunting alerted them; however, as he was quickly drawn into the tree he had been knocked into, trapped.

"I've been noticing your incredible speed," Hao admitted, "and the small bursts of wind accompanying each step." Hao grinned madly as flames issued forth underneath his own boots. "You really do think of such great things, Ototou." And as he made to run forwards, a propelling explosion of flame issued from each step and Hao's speed increased at least twofold. He brought his broadsword of fire down in a decisive charging blow, only to be stopped just short as a blade of compressed air surged from Yoh's position, knocking the elder twin back.

"Want to see fast, aniki? I obviously haven't been sitting in this tree doing nothing" Yoh mentioned as he lit up the technique he had been preparing.

Like a human missile, Yoh rocketed out of the tree with a veritable jetpack booster of wind issuing from his back, sending dust and bark flying. The speed was almost blinding as he shoulder charged Hao through several trees before ending in a rising slash that issued forth a concussive blast of compressed air great enough to send Hao spinning quickly into the stratosphere.

Of course, in the dark night sky, no one could pinpoint just how high Hao was knocked away.

No one, save for Yoh. A fact he proved as he swung his blade in a wide ark, loosing a large horizontal slash of air to fly at where he judged he could hit Hao.

He was proved to have judged correctly as Hao, apparently yet fit enough to attack, cancelled his projectile slash with a blazing one of his own.

_Impressive, Ototou. _Hao admitted mentally, assuming that he had negated Yoh's follow up attack.

By the time he sensed the air above him being compressed into a striking force, it was too late.

"Graaah!" Hao screamed in pain as a thin, long spear of air flew into his back from above and, though it could not pierce the layer of burning furyoku under his back, it damaged and carried him slamming into the earth all the same.

A horrific crash was heard, dust was kicked up, and a miniature sized crater was formed at the impact site.

"Predict your opponent's countermeasures, and attack" Yoh mused, his sword still stuck blade first into the ground. He knew this fight was far from over, both combatants had too much furyoku to land any conventionally decisive blow, "and absorbing furyoku from your surroundings was a great idea too. Though I'll try to give what I took back, after this is over."

"Heh," Hao coughed as he staggered out of the self-made crater. "It took me five years before I could absorb the ambient furyoku around me. Not bad, Ototou." The destroyer's blade flashed brown as, out of the earth, monstrous creatures of rock arose.

And the fight continued.

For _three_ days the supporters of each side in this epic battle were treated to the most impossible feats imaginable. Spires of earth arose, the trees came to life, living storms, floods and tornadoes of varying degrees of violence were issued. That is to say nothing of the flaming meteorites and giant birds of solid air. All of nature was morphed to suit the combatant's needs. Long ago had the battle stretched farther than the small clearing they began in. Perhaps they should have even been disqualified, but neither fighter cared. It was time to settle things. Whose path, once and for all, would shape the world? The Great Spirit remained silent on the matter of their disqualification or not. Perhaps it, too, wanted to know who's ideal would be the victor.

In three days, a substantial portion of Japan's countryside was wracked and changed beyond recognition. Any doubt about their choices to stray away from the typical Giant Oversouls were washed away as impossibly grandiose attacks flowed one after the other in an endless trading of blows. Finally, somehow, the two world-shaking warriors made their way back to the Asakura compound. There, panting and perspiring, they faced off on opposite sides of the now-scorched and scarred clearing they began on. The full moon hung overhead.

"Not bad, Otouto." Hao admitted. He was truly fired up.

"You haven't seen everything yet, Aniki." Yoh informed calmly. Relaxed as ever, but never lax in an acute observation of his opponent.

Both combatant's garbs were torn and bloodstained. It was clear the last legs of their fight was approaching.

Hao opted for more conversation. "That Spirit of Air is certainly the most flexible spirit by far. And you're very like it, I can't find a weakness. And even I have trouble burning it"

Yoh seemed to accept the praise silently.

Hao smirked "But you know, Ototou… there is this _one _weakness of yours…" Hao said, eying the spectators that had, for three long days, traversed the countryside along with the combatants. "You get far too concerned about your friends"

Yoh's eyes widened in terror as his rival turned his attention away from him and to his friends and fiancée. With a grand slash, Hao released an enormous, molten-sizzling fireball that dwarfed the tree line, and the spectators targeted, easily.

Yoh tracked the fireball's movement towards the stupefied and tired collection of everyone he held dear in this world, and he knew he could never run to them in time. His mind went into overdrive, the perceived changes in the world slowing down further by comparison.

With a mighty grunt of effort, Yoh wrapped the air around himself before instantly fading from view.

"Grraaaah!" The lazy boy screamed after repapering between the path of Hao's attack and his precious people. He flexed his furyoku muscle to the very limit of what he could control, and that was a_ lot_. There was a great bang, and a sudden vacuuming drag of air that lasted for a second, threatening to uproot trees and shamans alike. The fireball was nowhere to be seen.

Yoh stood, left hand in front of his face, palmed turned away from his body and clutching an area of space that seemed to distort any light that entered. He panted in effort.

Hao's eyebrow cocked. That had been… truly amazing. "To think, that you dragged such a large region of air into your palm of your hand in an instant. All to take away the air for my fire's life. Even I don't have that kind of control." He mused, watching the cold fury in his twin's eyes. No matter, the fool had overexerted himself. Yoh had sealed his fate in a foolish decision to save his friends.

The great Asakura Hao should have known better. The calmest wind is nothing until it gives rise to a tornado. Then, no force could slow it's fury.

Hao's eyes widened in shock as Yoh closed the distance between them in but an instant, and slammed the ball of hyper compressed air into his gasping-in-shock mouth.

Hao stumbled backwards, clutching his neck with both hands as he felt the still self contained ball of air slip down his throat.

Yoh closed his eyes and sighed. "Sayonara, Aniki."

Then, all at once, the tightly spinning bomb of air exploded.

Hao never stood a chance.

The resulting explosion shook the earth and ripped him apart from the inside out in a bloody spray of flesh and gore. If Yoh hadn't contained the initial blast with the last vestiges of his energy, pieces of Asakura Hao would be being scraped off of car windows in Hokkaido by mooring.

The victor of a battle the likes of which the world had never seen, Yoh turned and mouthed "it's over" to his friends briefly before collapsing into blissful unconsciousness.

* * *

x-years later-x 

"Baka-Yoh, get up, it's morning already"

"Mmmm, don' wanna get up…"

"You're the worst husband ever, why do I put up with you?"

"But Ann-chan, I'm the one that became Shaman King, bullied all the demons of hell to leave you alone, gave you the easy life, and cook you three meals a day!" He had also, with the Great Spirits, cleared up the whole Hao reincarnating problem

_SLAP!_

"You're also a slacker of the worst sort. And I-told-you. It's **not** Ann-chan!"

"Owww, I _still_ can't call you Ann-chan? What kind of wife are you" the dejected husband muttered

"It's a horrible pet name" Anna stated

"What's wrong with it?" Yoh insisted

Anna gave him a look. "For one, it gives people the wrong impression about us."

Kami help her, she loved the lazy bum. But somebody had to keep him in line. And Tamao certainly wasn't going to.

Yoh, what to do with him?

She couldn't even throw training at him any more. Yoh had raised himself to Hao's level, and even if the Shaman King were to do nothing but sit on his ass and become fat for the rest of his life, there would still be no one alive in the world that could stand the slightest chance.

Not that she'd let him deteriorate like that.

"Yoh!" she shouted. "Today is tri-atholon day!"

As she heard her husband groan in abject dejection, Anna smirked

Life was good_  
_

_Owari _(The end. For good)

* * *

_Omake: A possible future?  
_

"Funga fu fu" Yoh chirped as he rolled the orange to his long time friend.

"Funga fu fu" Sora agreed as she rolled the orange back.

"Just what are you two doing?" The imperial voice of Ren Tao broke in. "Yoh, are you dragging Sora-san into your nonsensical "Funga fu fu" phrase and orange rolling?"

"Of course!" Yoh proclaimed

"Would you like to join us, Ren-chan?" Sora asked kindly.

Ren blushed, having that matronly tone directed at him. "W-What, I…"

"Please?" Sora asked cutely.

Ren didn't stand a chance.

"F-Funga fu fu" he muttered, rolling the orange to Yoh and slamming his head onto the table to hide his shame

Unable to contain himself, Horohoro burst out laughing "Hahahah! Ren, you—"

"Would you like to play, too, Horohoro-chan? It would be wonderful!"

Ren smirked, seeing someone else trapped in Sora's inescapable mature and motherly aura

"I… I…" the snowboarder stuttered. "F-Funga… fu fu"

"Um, what's going on, I heard a shout is everyone alright?" Tamao tentatively quired

"Funga fu fu!" Yoh chirped

"Fun…ga fu fu?" Tamao asked, confused

"_Funga fu fu_" Ren corrected dejectedly as he rolled the orange to Horohoro

"Fun-ga fu fu?" Tamao asked again

"Funga fu fu" Horohoro muttered quietly as he self-consciously rolled the orange to Sora. Wondering how he had been roped into this silly thing

"Funga… fu fu" Tamao said with more conviction

"Funga fu fu!" Sora sang as she rolled the orange to Yoh.

"What's this nonsense?" Anna demanded, walking into the room.

Tamao turned, having just rolled the orange to Yoh-sama and explained "Funga fu fu"

"Oh," the itako said flatly, "you've all been dragged into another of Yoh and Sora's childish little games of no value at all."

"F-Funga fu fu" Ren confirmed, his shame greater than ever.

_Owari_

* * *

A/N: There, the whole damn thing is over. If you're **_ever_ **going to **review**, now's the time. I kind of cut it short, you may or may not notice a choppy kind of feeling in the first parts, but it was alright in the end. I like this chapter more than any other, actually. I think the problem with Hurricane Yoh was that, in the long run, I just had too many damn ideas. It was also a project that evolved as I learned more about being a fanfiction writer. It all got a little cluttered together, but so it goes. This thing has been dragging along at 1 or 2 reviews per chapter for a while now. And that was just plain dispiriting. 


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